


The Story to be Told

by WhiteCatInDisguise



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Death, Fluff, Gen, One-Shots, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 43,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23475619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteCatInDisguise/pseuds/WhiteCatInDisguise
Summary: Series of one-shots from my tumblr asks. Will update characters list and tags with every story introducing something new.
Comments: 111
Kudos: 231





	1. Gathering Information 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ask from @singertobe, where Cassandra doesn't use the Truth Serum to gain knowledge of the Third Incantation, but rather takes a... different approach.

"I need that Third Incantation, Varian." Cassandra's voice was cold. He stared right back at her defiantly.

"Never!" He hissed through his teeth. 

He knew what that incantation could do. He studied the scroll long enough to know that. And Cass... she was strong and powerful, even without the power she wanted him to give her. He couldn't even begin to fathom how much of a threat she would be if she managed to obtain it.

The blue-haired woman clicked her tongue in irritation and stood up from where she was sitting opposite the boy.

"I was afraid you'd say that." She stated nearing him. He tensed involuntarily as he awaited her next move. She circled around him, her eyes watching like a predator. 

"Y-you can try all you want, but I won't say a t-thing!" Varian tried to sound brave but his voice stuttered when he spoke. He cursed inwardly. 

"Oh, trying to sound brave, are we?" She said, hidden behind his back. Her hand brushed against his back and he cringed at the touch. "Well, I think you'll be reciting that incantation in no time."

"You- you can't make me!" He argued, shivering as she lifted his shirt just a little and her fingers tracing a line down his spine. He cringed and shivered, the tickling sensation filling his whole body. 

She hummed, a smirk appearing on her face as he tried to scurry away, only to be stopped by the robes binding him to the pole. 

"You know, it always amazed me..." Cassandra trailed off, her fingers moving to his side. He closed his eyes, as he tried to not flinch in response. "How extremely ticklish you are."

"Wha-?" He started but then suddenly she grabbed him forcefully, her fingers digging into his sides. 

He folded on himself, his sides itching. His whole frame was shaking as he tried desperately to not give in to the sensation. His breathing was laboured, he was gasping for air. 

Finally, it was all too much for him and he let it out. It started quietly, and if one wasn't paying attention, they could have missed it. But Cass didn't. Her smile widened and she moved her fingers up and down the boy's sides, relinquishing in his reaction. 

Then came the chuckle. Quiet, almost hysterical. It didn't take long for it to disappear, changing into a full-blown laughter. 

"HAHAHAHAHA! No, s-stop it! No- HAHAHAHAHAHA! No more!" He wriggled and thrashed, trying to escape the tickling. His vision blurred as tears appeared at the corner of his eyes. 

"You know what I want, Varian." Cassandra sounded pleased but didn't stop. 

"HAHAHAHAHA! I-I can't!" The boy wheezed. "It's too- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! T-too dangerous!"

The woman hummed and retracted her arms. The alchemist slumped down, breathing heavily. She stood up from where she was crouched behind his back and moved to face her prisoner. 

His breathing evened and he started to calm down. His sides still hurt from where Cass worked with her fingers. He felt some tugging on his left foot and his head shot up, startled. 

Cassandra was in front of him now, taking off his shoe. He froze before the realization hit him. He started to trash about, but she swiftly pacified him, sitting down on his legs. He grunted as her weight pushed onto his limbs, firmly keeping them in place. 

His eyes widened in terror, as Cass put his shoe away and took out a feather. 

"C-Cass, please don't!" He begged. She shot him a malicious smile.

"I won't have to do this if you just tell me the incantation." She stated. He shook his head, clenching his eyes closed. 

He heard the woman sigh and then all the hell broke loose. Out of all places, his feet were always the most sensitive. 

He wriggled, trashed and tensed. His throat got hoarse from the constant laughing. His breath hitched and he felt his lungs burning. His head swimmed and he couldn't think of anything else but how everything hurt. His stomach, his muscles, his lungs... 

"C-crescent..." he managed to whisper between the bursts of laughing. 

The tickling suddenly stopped. He gasped for air, his head dropping to his chest. He was so tired, everything hurt.

"Ready to talk now?" He heard a female voice and looked up to see Cassandra still sitting down on his legs, feather in her hand.

He opened his mouth and closed it. He couldn't tell her the incantation. It would be disastrous. His head dropped back again and he heard a sigh. 

"Looks like you still need some convincing." She said and he felt the feather brushing over his bare skin. 

They were at it again. Cassandra with constant tickling, he with trashing and laughing. His vision blackened, as less and less oxygen got into his lungs.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. Hecouldn'tbreathehecouldn'tbreathehecouldn'tbreate.

"Cre-crescent... h-high a-abo-bove..." He wheezed out, as his vision blurred. 

He didn't even notice the tickling cease. He was faintly aware of the weight lifting from his legs and shuffling of paper. 

"E-vol-ving as y-you go..."he continued mechanically. It hurt so much to speak, but he just couldn't stop. "R-rise what li-lies bene-eath, and l-let the da-darkne-ess g-grow..."

His head fell limply as he finished the incantation. His vision was blurry, everything hurt. He welcomed the darkness that overcame him and then nothing hurt anymore.


	2. Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ask send by @adiraswifey:  
> Varian is sick and it's up to his dad to help him get better.

Varian coughed into a crook of his arm. His frame shivered from cold, and at the same time he could feel overwhelming heat. He sniffed and turned back to his work. It was more important.

“Son, can you pass me the wrench?” Quirin called from the other side of the room. “Looks like one of the screws in the boiler got loose.”

“Sure, dad.” He replied, ignoring the scratching in his throat as he spoke. He turned to the workbench and the world spun.

He felt himself falling and reached out his hands to grab something. That something turned out to be a chair, which didn’t manage to hold his weight and they both fell to the floor.

Quirin turned around as he heard the sound. His heart stopped as he saw the boy sprawled on the floor, the fallen chair next to him.

“Varian!” He shouted in worry as he ran up to him. His son was already trying to stand up on his own, but it seemed as if his body didn’t quite want to work with him on that.

“M’ fine, dad.” The boy mumbled as he used the workbench to lift himself up. The world was spinning and he shook his head to make it stop.

Sudden movement only worsened the state and he felt nausea coming. He clasp a hand on his mouth and took a few deep breaths, fighting the urge to throw up.

He was finally calming down, when he felt a large hand touch his forehead. He looked up to see his father frowning.

“You’re burning up.” He said, as he took back his hand.

“Just a little. I can still work.” Varian argued, letting go of the workbench. The world spun again and he fell forward, hitting his father’s broad chest.

“Mhm, I can see that.” Quirin replied unamused. The boy barely managed to push away, wobbling on his feet.

“P-please. Just a few more minutes.” He whispered breathing heavily. Damn his voice, cracking like that. “I wanna finish that-”

He didn’t manage to get to the end of the sentence. Black spots entered his vision and he felt forward, never reaching the ground.

~~~~~~

He woke up slowly, feeling a familiar weight close by. He looked down to see Ruddiger curled next to him, snoozing silently.

His hand reached out to his forehead, noticing a wet rug. Huh, so he did pass out, after all.

The door to his room opened and dad walked in, a bowl of steaming soup in his hand. He smiled a little when he saw the boy awake.

“How are you feeling, son?” He asked, as he stepped closer. He brought up a chair to his bed and sat down.

“Better.” Varian replied truthfully as he tried to sit up. Quirin put the bowl on the table nearby, and reached out to help him, putting more pillows behind his back.

“Good, you slept for whole day.” The man stated as he took the bowl again and passed it to his son.

He took it gratefully and ate slowly, blowing on the spoon to cool it down enough to not burn his tongue. The warm soup felt heavenly and he ate the whole thing in a matter of minutes.

Quirin took the empty bowl back and put it on the table, before facing his son.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, his eyes showing hurt. Varian looked down on his laps, embarrassed.

“I didn’t want to worry you.” He said. “Besides, I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“You were burning hot, barely standing on your feet and passed out from exhaustion.” His dad stated matter-of-factly.

Varian stayed silent, still refusing to look up. Quirin sighed.

“Son, I want you to promise to tell me right away next time you don’t feel well.” He said. “I understand you didn’t want to worry me, but I actually worry more if you don’t say anything.”

“Okay.” The boy finally spoke. Quirin smiled and reached out, pulling him into a hug.

“I love you, son. Don’t you ever forget that.” He said.

“I love you too, dad.” Varian replied, hugging him back.


	3. Thanks for the Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from Punkin tts on AO3:  
> When Varian decides to change sides and not work with Saporians anymore, they are not so eager to let him go. Instead, they make sure he will stay, even if it means using the same trick as before.

“It’s not about what they did to me!” Varian’s voice cracked as he turned his back to the princess. He could feel her confused gaze on his frame. She wouldn’t understand it. There’s no way she could ever... “It’s what I did to them...” He felt the tears threatening to fall but he subsided it. “And... and there is no way they will ever forgive me!” His voice cracked again. He felt so pathetic right now.

“How do you know, if you don’t give them a chance?” Rapunzel’s voice sounded from the cell she was locked in. He flinched at the idea and then almost snorted.

“I took their Queen prisoner, I-I threatened their Princess, I helped THESE GUYS take over the kingdom!” He counted on his fingers, getting more angry with each crime he listed. “You think anyone’s going to give me a second chance?”

He turned abruptly and approached the cell, locking eyes with her.

“I don’t think so.” He shook his head in denial. “No, making them forget is THE ONLY way to fix what I’ve done.” His eyes fell down, not able to look her in the eyes anymore.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds, which was broken abruptly by the voice behind his back.

“Yeah... there’s been a slight change of plans, buddy.” Andrew approached him from behind and grabbed his shoulders, pushing him away from the cell, back towards the rest of Saporians.

Varian gave him a confused side-glance. Change of plans? What was the man talking about?

“Now, that she’s back, we don’t have time for you to get your memory formula right.” Andrew clarified. We don’t have time? What?

“We are still using the formula you’ve created.” Clementine added and he looked at the small woman. He didn’t like where it was going. “Quirinium explodes!” She clarified, throwing her arms to the sides as if it was something good. “It will turn Corona to ashes!”

Varian’s blood froze as he heard the woman say those words. They were planning to-

“What? No! No! No! We’ve agreed nobody would be harmed!” He pointed an accusing finger at Andrew and the male rolled his eyes.

“Relax, Varian.” He pushed his hand down and smirked. “You don’t want to end up on the wrong side of the history. You understand, buddy?” The male elbowed him gently.

Varian cast an angry glare at the Saporians and then looked at the princess, locked behind the bars. Her green eyes were pleading, begging for him to not do it. To not agree to the plan. 

“You’re right...” The alchemist agreed, his eyes slowly moving from the princess downwards, his right hand reaching to his pocket. “So I’m gonna have to ask you to step inside that cell!” He fished out a blue ball and shoved it in the direction of the Saporians.

Instinctively, they rose their hands in front of them and took a few steps back.

“Are you betraying us, boy?” Clementine asked and Varian almost laughed at the sound of that.

Such an irony. He, who was betrayed, was the one betraying his accomplices now. He shook his head slightly. No, he wasn’t betraying them. It seems, from the beginning, they weren’t even on the same side.

“I’m getting on the right side of the history.” He corrected, approaching the group at the same pace as they were backing away.

“Take him out!” Clementine shouted and at the same time he threw the ball in their direction.

There was an explosion of blue light and he backed away to Rapunzel’s cell, turning his head to cover his eyes. Then, he heard a pop. Wait... a pop...? Like a bubble? But how did it...?

Confused, he looked back to where the Saporians were standing, covered in a large dose of foam. Oh no!

“Oooh... Sorry guys...” He took a step away, his back colliding with the bars of the cell. “That was... that was a bath bomb...”

He let out a small yelp as Andrew closed in and picked him up by the collar of his shirt.

“Bad move, Varian.” The male sneered and the boy suddenly felt very small and very afraid. “You know, Saporians have this one rule. Traitors pay with their lives.”

“No!” He heard Rapunzel cry out from behind but he was too terrified to react in any way.

“Lucky for you, we can still find some good use of your abilities.” Andrew’s face turned into a ugly smirk. The male cast a gaze to his accomplices and gave a small nod.

Clementine approached them, her hand taking out a slim shape from her sleeve. Varian’s eyes widened in realization, as he recognised the item.

“No! Please!” He tried to wriggle out of the grip but it was futile.

“Don’t worry, boy. It won’t hurt one bit.” The woman appeared in his line of vision and he saw the tip of the wand touch his nose.

There was a sudden blinding pink light and he felt his mind go abruptly blank. Then, a pain exploded at the back of his head and he succumbed to the darkness.

\----

Rapunzel screamed as Varian’s body fell limp to the floor, after being rammed against the bars. He felt the tears pricking at her eyes, hoping the boy was still alive.

“Why did you do that?!” She shouted angrily, her eyes locking at Andrew. “You said you still need him!”

“Don’t worry your pretty royal head, princess.” Andrew waved his hand dismissively at her. “He’s only knocked out. Will come around in a few minutes.”

For the next minutes Rapunzel waited impatiently, her eyes staring at the unmoving form. Finally, the boy let out a soft groan and twitched, moving his hands to push himself up. Before the princess managed to say anything, Andrew was already kneeling next to the alchemist, helping him up.

“Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?” He asked, and if Rapunzel didn’t know any better, she would think he sounded concerned.

“What... what happened?” The boy asked groggily, looking around, then down at his clothes. “Why are we outside the cell? And what about these clothes?”

“Woah, she got you good, didn’t she?” Andrew mused and put his arms on the alchemist’s shoulders. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Erm... I think... pain? At the back of my head?” He moved his hand to the spot he mentioned and felt a small bump there. He winced as he touched it.

“Varian...?” He heard a familiar female voice and turned around abruptly. Blue eyes stared into green. It took him a second to notice she was standing in the cell, gripping at the bars.

“Ooooh, finally got what you deserved, huh, princess?” He smirked as he stood up. “Shame I don’t remember catching you, tho. Must have been quite a memory.”

“She sneaked up on you and smacked you good with that frying pan of hers, Var.” Andrew explained. “You were out like a light. Probably that’s what got you that memory loss, too.”

“Sounds probable.” Varian nodded. “So, how does it feel to be at the other side of the bars, Princess?” He asked with a smirk.

“What? No, Varian! It wasn’t me!” She cried, tears in her eyes. “They erased your memory, because you turned on them. You have to trust me!”

“TRUST YOU?!” He shouted, punching the bars with such force she backed down horrified. “After everything you’ve done?! No, Princess. Too late for that.”

“Varian...” She whispered but he’d already turned away, facing Saporians.

“Let’s go, buddy.” Andrew put his hand on his shoulder and led him to the exit of the dungeons. “We’ve got work to do.”

He nodded and they left, the sound of crying becoming more quiet the further from the cell they went. Varian felt a tugging at the back of his mind that something was wrong. But he kicked it away, shaking his head to get rid of the thought. Everything was as it supposed to be.


	4. Sleepy Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from leania112. Varian needs to sleep but decides work is more important. Eugene wants the boy to finally get some rest and won't take no for an answer.

The lab was quiet, save for the occasional scribble of the pencil, clinking of glass or sound of liquid being poured into a container. It was dark, the candle set on the table almost burnt down. 

Varian rubbed his eyes tiredly, stifling a yawn. The moon was shining through the window, already high in the night sky. Still, the alchemist neglected the well-needed rest, opting to focus on his work instead. 

The door to the room creaked open, but the boy paid it no mind, too focused on his notes. 

“Varian?” He heard a familiar male voice and turned his head to see surprised Eugene standing in the doorway. “What are you doing?”

“Erm, working..?” The alchemist replied, pointing at the table filled with notes, various chemicals and vials. 

“Kid, it’s almost midnight!” The male exclaimed as he closed the distance between them. “You should be asleep hours ago.”

“Sleep is for the weak.” Varian answered and turned back to his table. “Besides, this is more important.”

“Whatever it is, I am sure it can wait until tomorrow.” Eugene shook his head. The kid was incurable workaholic. “You barely can keep your eyes open.”

Varian’s head snapped up, from where it was propped on his hand. 

“Am not!” He argued, the ‘a’ coming out longer than desired as another yawn escaped him.

“U-huh, totally believable.” The male commented and the boy scuffed in response. 

“I’ll just finish this one thing here. I need two-three more hours.” He replied, turning back and ending the discussion. Eugene, however, was not going to back down so easily. 

“No-can-do, kid.” He said as he grabbed the boy under the armpits and raised him up from the chair.

“Hey! Let me go, Eugene!” The alchemist cried, trashing in his hold. 

“You have to go to sleep eventually, you know?” The Captain replied as he kept the alchemist suspended in the air. The boy huffed in annoyance. 

“Sleep is for the weak… I have NO weaknesses…” He replied, unhappy about the situation. He didn’t see the mischievous smirk that appeared on Eugene’s face. 

“Oh, really?” He asked before his fingers dug into the alchemist’s sides. 

The boy wriggled and trashed, his whole body trembling with the giggles. He laughed loudly as Eugene kept tickling him. His eyes filled with tears, lungs and stomach burned with all the laughing. 

Finally, Eugene ceased and released the boy, letting his body fall clumsily to the floor. He let out a few more chuckles, as he laid on the stone floor. It was like the man to realise he was ticklish and use it against him.

“Will you sleep now?” The male asked, smirk evident in his voice. 

“You will PAY for that…” He managed to reply from where he was laying. 

“Oh? Is that a challenge?” Eugene rose an eyebrow intrigued. 

Before he could react, a blue sphere was thrown in his direction and he was covered in smoke. He coughed and waved his hand to make the cloud disperse faster. 

“You think a smoke-bomb would stop me, kid?” He said when he finally could see properly. 

Varian was sitting on the floor, his expression a mix of smugness and playfulness. His shoulders were trembling and he stared at the male, trying his best not to laugh. 

“What? What’s so funny?” The Captain asked puzzled. The boy stared back at him and burst out laughing. 

“You should see for yourself!” He wheezed out, pointing a shaking finger towards the mirror. 

Confused, he took a few steps towards it and looked in. When his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he let out a yelp of surprise. 

“My hair!” He shouted in despair. 

The top of his head was what would one describe as explosion after-effect. His hair were standing up, sprawled in every direction. And worst of it was the colour. Instead of his usual brown, his hair were luminescent pink. 

Varian laughed behind him, now sprawled on the floor, holding his stomach. He was openly crying now, barely being able to breath between the bursts of laughter. 

“Ooooooh. So that’s how it is?” Eugene turned to the boy, and then his eyes moved to the shelf full of potions. Thank the Sun, all of them were labelled. 

Without much time to spare, he took one of the non-lethal compounds and threw it in the boy’s direction. His laughter stopped abruptly and the smoke revealed a very confused now-green-haired alchemist. The boy took a second to adjust, before his face turned into a smirk.

“It’s on!” He cried as he threw another vial at the male. 

~~~~~~

Eugene was tip-toeing through the quiet corridors of the castle. Somewhere during the “fight”, they left the lab and were now chasing each-other in the abandoned halls. Luckily, the lab was located in a more secluded part, so they didn’t have to worry about waking anyone up. 

The Captain’s eyes scanned the surrounding, aware of every sound and movement. Finally, he spotted a tip of brown shoe, sticking out from behind one of the tables. He chuckled quietly and slowly approached his target.

“Gotcha!” He shouted, his hand with a colourful bomb raised for the attack. He stopped mid-throw, when he saw the scene before him.

Varian was slumped against the wall, one of the balls still in his hand, ready for the surprise attack. His goggles were distorted on the top of his head. His chest was slowly raising and falling, eyes closed and mouth slightly ajar. 

Eugene smiled softly at the sleeping alchemist and pocketed the unused bomb. 

“Finally got you to sleep, huh?” He said as he kneeled down and slowly picked up the boy. 

He positioned the alchemist securely on his back, his hands hanging limply by his sides. 

“Let’s get you to your bed, kid.” He whispered softly. Varian mumbled something incoherent and snuggled closer to the man’s back, a content smile on his face.


	5. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by an amazing picture by wheredomelodiescomefrom on tumblr, which you can see here: https://wheredomelodiescomefrom.tumblr.com/post/616572580879564800/hello-young-alchemist

_Wither and decay..._

He felt so weak. His hands gripped the bars of the cage, holding for dear life.

_End this destiny..._

The ground was turning grey, like all life was being sucked out of it.

_Break these early chains..._

His knees buckled, vision started to swim. He felt a strong arm touching his shoulder.

"Dad..." He creaked out.

The man smiled a little, but Varian could see he was growing weaker too.

_And set the spirit free..._

His weakened knees finally gave away and he stumbled to the ground. His hands still gripped to the crystal bars of their cage but the hold was too weak to keep him steady.

It was getting so hard to breathe. Each inhale and exhale was more shallow than the previous one. Dark spots danced in front of his vision.

"D-dad." He whispered. "I'm s-scared."

"I know, son." Quirin's voice sounded much more hoarse than it should. Varian could hear his laboured breathing. "I am too..."

Everything was a blur. Her tried so hard to hold onto consciousness but it was so difficult to focus.

He is pretty sure he passed out at some point, because when he opened his eyes again Rapunzel was there. Or, at least, he thought it was her. Although her hair was blinking between gold and brown now. Or maybe he was delirious.

He blinked and now Zhan Tiri was down and Cass was helping Rapunzel up. Her hair were back to its usual dark.

His vision swimmed. He might have seen Rapunzel tying her hair around demon’s wrist, but he wasn’t so sure about it now. His mind was fuzzy, all of his senses muted.

Then, something wrapped around his body and he was flying through the air. The moment he wasn’t touching the ground anymore, it was like he emerged from under the water.

Breathing was easier, he was gasping for air now. His ears buzzed with all the sounds, his vision not blurry anymore. He was painfully aware of something tying his body, squeezing it more and more.

“Hello, little alchemist.” The voice said and he was faced with Zhan Tiri, entangled in one of her tentacles.

“Varian!” Rapunzel and Cass cried in unison.

He turned to them and noticed terror in their eyes. They were holding the Princess’ hair, long strands wrapped around both of the demon’s wrists, holding them over her head. There was a sharp piece of crystal in Rapunzel’s hand, ready to cut the hair.

His eyes moved to the demon’s wrists, noticing the Moonstone and Sundrop. Oh... so that’s what they were planning...

The tentacle around his body squeezed again and he cried out in pain. His ribs were hurting, almost to the point of breaking.

“Let him go!” Rapunzel cried, her eyes close to tearing out. Zhan Tiri laughed, her voice booming in the courtyard.

“Not so sure about your plan now, are you?” She said menacingly, squeezing Varian some more. He gasped and whimpered, tears gathering in his eyes.

“Rapun... zel...” He breathed out, his voice small and pained. “It h-hu...rts...”

“So what are you going to do now, girl?” Zhan Tiri teased, waving the tentacle holding the alchemist. His form swayed limply in the air, whole body hurting from the movement and squeezed hold.

Rapunzel was trembling, he noticed. Her whole frame was shaking, hand holding the crystal unsure and fidgeting.

“Raps!” Cass shouted and he saw her hands trembling too. She didn’t have much strength left, her whole body tense from holding the demon.

“Tick-tock, princess.” Zhan Tiri swung Varian like the pendulum. He felt sick. His ribs were being crushed and he had trouble breathing, his inhales and exhales growing shallower by the second.

With the last of his strength, the alchemist looked over to the blonde. She was scared, terrified even. Her hands were shaking so much it was a miracle she didn’t cut her hair yet. Varian knew.... there was no other way...

“P-please...” He whispered. He wasn’t even sure she heard him. But she understood what she said, he could see it in her eyes.

She shook her head, eyes darting around, searching for another solution. But there was none. He knew.

He looked at Cass, their eyes locking only for a moment. But he knew, she understood. She give him a short nod and he managed a small smile.

“Raps.” She didn’t shout this time. It was softer, almost pleading. The green eyes stared back at her friend and moved to his form, suspended in air.

_Please_ , he mouthed. He didn’t have any strength left to speak. Tears danced in those green eyes. She gripped the crystal tighter, seemingly coming to the decision.

“I’m sorry...” She said. Zhan Tiri’s eyes widened in realization but it was already too late. Blonde hair dulled to brown for a split of second and Rapunzel’s hand moved in one swift motion.

There was an explosion of light. Varian felt the hold around his body loosening. He fell down, the light embracing him before he even reached the ground.

There was a voice. Someone was calling his name. He felt someone gently shaking his shoulders.

His eyes fluttered and he stared at the large form towering over his body. There was something familiar about it.

“Dad...?” He asked, voice hoarse. The person sighed in relief and he was brought to a warm hug.

It took Varian only a few seconds to register what was happening. His eyes watered and he snuggled closer, crying into his father’s embrace.

“Dad! I was so scared!” He cried, his hands gripping the back of the man’s shirt. “E-everything hurt. A-and I couldn’t move. And-”

“Shhh.” His father gently stroked his back in small circles. “It’s okay. You are safe.”

“VARIAN!” Someone else called and he lifted his head to see Rapunzel. Her hair were short and brown now. She rushed to him, tears in her eyes. She hugged him, his father moving away to give her space. ‘I’m so sorry!”

“Princess... How-?” He asked. She moved back, still close but her arms on her knees now.

“I... When Moonstone and Sundrop collided, there was a big explosion. Zhan Tiri was in the exact centre, so she...” She trailed off, eyes moving to her hands. “When the light disappeared, so did she. The stones merged. And you... you were lying on the ground, umoving. I... I didn’t know what to do. So... So I grabbed the stone and...”

“You revived me...” He finished, barely in a whisper.

Rapunzel’s hand moved to tug on her hair, but they were too short for that, so she let it fall back to her lap.

“I... I guess so.” She replied and looked up to meet his eyes. She smiled sheepishly and he smiled back.

“Thank you.” He said, wrapping her in a hug. She went still for a moment before returning the gesture.

“You are welcome, little brother.” She whispered to his ear.


	6. Deceit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by leania112's post on tumblr (you can find out which one on my tumblr, same username).  
> A "What if" scenario where Zhan Tiri can shape-shift and decides to mess with a certain alchemist's mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to move this story here, since it's a once shot and I want the one-shots to be in one place...

Timezone: set between Flynnpostor and Once a Handmaiden…

The lab was a mess. It always was, but this time it was more than usual. Varian rolled up his sleeves and looked down at the raccoon standing by his leg.  
“Time to finally clean this up, buddy.” He said and the animal chittered in response, mimicking his movement. The boy smiled and they set to work.  
The Demanitus Chamber was enormous, so it came to no surprise that after two hours they only managed to barely take care of small part of it. Varian wiped sweat from his forehead and reached out for the bottle of water he brought with him. How come I didn’t do it earlier?, he thought as he scanned the room.  
Of course, it was a rhetorical question. After Rapunzel and the others saved him from Cassandra’s tower and escorted him back home, he was too tired to do anything other than sleeping. Then came the upgrading the hot-air balloon for Rapunzel and Eugene’s trip to the Spire and long-hours work on The Rooster.  
He’d been so busy lately, it took him almost two weeks to finally find some time and clean up his lab. Well, it wasn’t his lab, per se, but Rapunzel was clear he could use the chamber freely if he ever needed it. And it was way bigger than his lab back in Old Corona. Not mentioning more secluded, meaning less threatening to other people (not that he planned to experiment on something THAT dangerous, but still).  
He was just about to go back to cleaning, when he heard footsteps. He turned towards the exit, curious as to who decided to visit him. He didn’t even tell anyone he was planning to clean his lab today, so it made him even more puzzled about the visitor.  
His lips formed a smile when he noticed a man making his way down the stairs.  
“Hey, Eugene!” He called out, lifting his hand in a greeting. “Didn’t expect you to come here. Don’t you have Captain of the Guard duties or something?”  
The boy was well aware that with the new position came more responsibilities. He was happy for his friend's promotion, but figured he won’t have as much time to meet with him and the others now.  
If the man heard the question, he didn’t show it, instead taking a look around.  
“This place really took a beating, huh?” He said.  
Varian shrugged in response.  
“That’s what happens when people think it’s a good idea to fight in a chamber filled with ancient technology.” He replied. “Figured I can clean this place up, since I have some time.”  
Eugene hummed in response and stared back at the boy. The alchemist shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze from the man.  
“Um… you need something?” He asked.  
“Wasn’t easy to find you.” The man replied cryptically.  
“Y-yeah. I didn’t exactly tell anyone where I’m going today.” Varian scratched the back of his neck nervously. “Except for dad, of course.”  
His eyes moved away, not being able to hold the man’s gaze. He noticed Ruddiger picking up some beakers and vials back on the table. The raccoon paused in his work and stared back at them. He sniffed the air for a moment before growling and running up to them, his paws clawing at Eugene.  
“Woah!” Varian scooped up the animal in his hands, puzzled by the reaction. “What’s got into you, buddy? It’s Eugene.”  
Ruddiger didn’t seem to listen, as he tried to wriggle out of the boy’s hold, still hissing and growling at the man.  
“Oh, come on, Ruddiger!” The alchemist groaned. He grabbed the raccoon in both hands and lifted him in front of his face. “Stop that! Better go pick up the rest of the glass. I’ll join you in a moment.”  
He let down the animal and it made a few steps back to the table, looking back with ears down and hissing. Varian looked sternly at his friend and made a ‘shoo’ wave with his hand. Ruddiger growled one more time before finally going back to where he was picking up the fallen beakers and vials.  
“Heh, sorry about that. I don’t know what’s got into-” The alchemist turned around and immediately ducked to the left, barely avoiding the sword that came his way.  
He hissed in pain as the tip of the blade managed to scratch his cheek. He lifted his hand to the cut and almost doubled over, as he felt a warm liquid under his fingers. He looked at where Eugene was standing, his sword drawn and pointed in his direction.  
“E-Eugene? What are you-?” He asked but had to dodge again, as the sword swinged at him. He fell to the ground and scrambled away, his eyes wide in horror.  
Eugene clicked his tongue in annoyance as he stared at the boy.  
“I missed.” He stated, taking a few steps in the direction of the alchemist.  
Suddenly, there was a growl and Ruddiger launched himself at the man. His claws attacked the man’s face but didn’t reach it. Eugene swiftly caught the raccoon by the scruff where it hang, hissing and clawing.  
“Annoying pest.” He said before throwing the animal into a opposite wall.  
Varian screamed, as Ruddiger hit the bricks and fell limply onto the ground. His vision blurred with tears and he moved towards him, only to be stopped by the blade to his throat.  
“And where do you think you’re going?” Eugene asked, his lips turned up in a malicious smirk. It seemed unnatural and unfitting to see it on his face.  
“Eugene, please…” He sobbed, stealing glances between the sword and Ruddiger’s unmoving body. “D-did I do something to upset y-you?” His voice stuttered as he tried hard to stop the tears from falling. He didn’t understand what was going on. Why was Eugene acting like that?  
“Well yes, my dear boy…” the blade moved slightly up, pointing to his forehead now. Varian shivered uncontrollably as the metal got closer to his face. “You survived that spectacular fall from the Tower… Quite frustrating, don’t you think?”  
The boy trembled and backed away, his back hitting the wall behind. The memory of the fall resurfaced almost instantly, bringing the feeling of wind in his ears and his body approaching the ground at a dangerous speed. If it wasn’t for Lance… Varian didn’t even dare to think what would happen, if the dark-skinned man didn’t catch him.  
Why was Eugene upset about that? He clearly remembered his protectiveness when Cassandra shoved them back inside the tower, how he held his hand reassuringly. Was that all just an act? Did he secretly loathed him, wishing he died back at that tower?  
He was faintly aware of the man cackling as he stepped closer and put the tip of the sword back to the boy’s neck.  
“But worry not. I will fix that terrible mistake.” Eugene stated as the blade hovered dangerously close to the alchemist’s throat.  
Varian couldn’t think. Tears were falling from his eyes, while his gaze fixated on the blade. Maybe that was for the best, he thought, as he thought of the man’s words. I am nothing but a nuisance to everyone. It would be better if I was gone.  
Eugene smirked evilly and the boy closed his eyes in defeat. Then, something hit him from the side and he felt himself falling to the ground, the wind pushed out of him and a splitting pain at the back of his head. And then, everything turned black.  
\-----  
His ears rang and head hurt, as he finally came to. He must have hit something while falling. That would explain the throbbing he felt right now. He heard someone calling his name but it was all muffled. He shook his head a couple of times, trying to get rid of the ringing.  
“-rian! Hey, kid, are you alright?” The sound finally reached his ears and his head shot up at the familiarity of the voice. His eyes widened and he scrambled away, as he stared into the brown eyes.  
“N-no, get away!” He cried, his hands curling protectively over his head.  
“Hey, kid. I’m not going to hurt you.” Eugene tried to calm down the boy but it only resulted in him shuffling away and sobbing uncontrollably.  
The man cursed under his breath and opened his mouth to try again, but a hand on his shoulder made him stop. He sighed and took a few steps back.  
Varian heard someone make his way towards him and gentle hands touched his shoulders.  
“Varian, it’s okay. We’re here.” Another familiar voice comforted him, this time female. He looked up and saw green eyes and blonde hair.  
“R-Rapunzel?” He questioned with teary eyes. She smiled slightly and nodded. “Rapunzel, Eugene was-!” He started to explain but she interrupted him instantly.  
“It wasn’t Eugene.” She said with such certainty in her voice it surprised him.  
“B-but I-” The alchemist was lost. It was surely Eugene. He saw him. He heard his voice. He couldn’t have been mistaken, could he?  
“Varian” Rapunzel put both of her hands on his shoulders and stared right into his eyes. “It wasn’t Eugene.” She repeated, slowly stating each word.  
“Then who…?” Varian questioned, his mind spinning. He didn’t know if it was a result of the hit or what the blonde just said.  
“It was Zhan Tiri. Apparently, she can shape-shift. She was trying to trick you.” She patiently explained.  
“Zhan Tiri…?” The name rolled on his tongue as he stared puzzled at the woman. He looked over her shoulder and noticed Eugene standing a few feet away, his eyes turned to the side. The man noticed his gaze and looked back, painful expression on his face.  
“Yes.” Rapunzel confirmed and he moved his eyes to look back at her. “We actually wanted to take you out for a picnic with Lance, Kiera and Catalina. We came to your house, but your dad said you were here. We went in and saw you, back against the wall, sword to your throat... “ She quieted down, remembering the horror she felt at the scene. “It was Eugene who reacted first, jumping down the stairs and barreling into you at the last moment. You hit your head on the chair and passed out, while me and Eugene managed to drive her away.”  
“Oh…” Was the only reaction Varian managed to make. He heard a chittering to his right and Ruddiger went up to him, limping slightly. He let out a small sigh of relief, seeing his friend alive, although slightly hurt. He let the raccoon climb up his shoulders and patted him absentmindedly.  
What Rapunzel said… This was a lot to take in. He looked back at Eugene and moved his gaze down, the moment their eyes met. He heard the man shuffle uncomfortably, before taking a few steps and crouching in front of him.  
“Hey, Varian.” He said, his hand reaching for the boy’s shoulder.  
The alchemist shivered uncontrollably and went still, the moment he noticed what he was doing. From the corner of his eye he noticed the man frown sadly and let his hand drop down.  
“Sorry…” He muttered, bringing his knees to his chest. He was so confused. Ruddiger touched his cheek with his paw reassuringly.  
“Kid, do you really believe I would try to kill you?” He heard Eugene ask, sadness in his voice. Was he upset with him? That he let Zhan Tiri trick him?  
“It all seemed so real…” He whispered, hiding his head in his arms. “She… she looked like you… sounded like you… moved like you…”  
“Varian-” Rapunzel started but Eugene raised his hand to stop her.  
“Blondie, I’ve got this.” He reassured. She looked at the curled boy for a moment, before nodding and stepping away. The man sighed and tried again. “Varian, what do you know of me?”  
“What?” The boy’s head moved up, puzzled eyes staring at him.  
“We’ve known each other for quite some time.” Eugene explained, sitting down in front of the alchemist. “Since the first time we met, what did you learn about me?”  
“Um… that you’re impulsive…?” Varian tried and the man squinted at the comment, Rapunzel snorting from where she stood. “Not that much as Cassandra, but…”  
“O...kay? I’m going to take it as a complement.” The man ran a hand through his hair. “What else?”  
“Erm… you love Rapunzel… and apparently are good with kids?” The boy continued and heard the woman chuckle at Eugene’s exasperated ‘apparently?!’. “You’re friends with Lance and you both decided to let go of your thieving past to help with the castle guard. You make bad jokes but everyone pretends they’re funny so you won’t get upset.”  
“Wha-? Bad jokes?” Eugene made a surprised sound before turning to his girlfriend, his gaze desperate. “Blondie, please tell me he’s just making fun of me.”  
“Sorry…” Rapunzel tugged her hair in shame and he made an offended sound.  
“You also care about your looks and can be extremely arrogant. But you’re also extremely loyal and protective.” Varian continued, his voice a little bit louder now. “Oh, and you are the prince from the Dark Kingdom, your real name is Horace and you’re one year older than you originally believed.”  
“You just had to point these last two out, did you?” Eugene raised an eyebrow and the boy shrugged his shoulders. The man could also swear he saw a playful smirk on the alchemist’s lips. “So, we can say you know me quite well, right?”  
“I… I guess? Not as much as everyone else but…” Varian agreed, still not seeing the point in the whole conversation.  
“Oh, please. I can count on one hand people who know me better than you do.” The man countered. Then, he took a deep breath and looked at the boy with all the seriousness he could muster. “And how does this description fit into the Eugene who threatened you with a sword?”  
Varian stared wide-eyed at the man, the question sounding in his mind. Ruddiger chittered to his ear, as if trying to give him the answer. Oh… so that’s what it was all about.  
“Not… not at all.” He finally said, eyes downcast.  
“And what does that mean?” Eugene pushed and Varian knew what he was getting at.  
“That it wasn’t you…” He whispered. He could almost see the man smile in response, nodding his head in approval. “Sorry…” He said again.  
“Don’t be. You were scared and confused.” Eugene shook his head at the statement. “Heck, I wouldn’t think clearly when at the bladepoint from the person I trusted. I would even believe Blondie hated me.”  
Varian snorted at that and Eugene smiled.  
“So… we’re good now?” The man asked. Varian looked at him for a second before smiling and nodding. “Great, then let’s get this cheek of yours cleaned up.” He stood up and reached his hand to help the boy stand up.  
The alchemist took it and let the man help him up. His vision swinged and he almost toppled over, if it wasn’t for Eugene catching him. Ruddiger clawed at his shoulders, trying to not fall off with a sudden change of balance.  
“Woah, easy there. You hit your head pretty bad with that fall.” Eugene commented as he held onto the boy. “Hope you’re not going to get dumber.”  
“Oh, shut up.” Varian pushed away from the man with the smirk. “I’d still be ten times smarter than you.”  
“Can’t argue with that, kid.” Eugene laughed and led him towards the stairs. Together they left the chamber, exchanging jokes and harmless insults, Rapunzel trailing behind with a smile on her face.


	7. The Queen of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by singertobe on tumblr: So everyone in the fandom, including myself, seems to headcanon that Varian didn't eat or sleep enough between QFAD & SSD and just worked nonstop. What if while he's got the queen in his lab, his body just gave out and he fainted, or even went into some kind of shock? That'd be inconvenient.

The last thing Arianna remembered was a masked person blowing some kind of green powder in her direction and falling. 

When she came to, she was chained to the floor in an unfamiliar room. She blinked out the remains of the sleep and tried to understand, where she was. 

The room was spacious. Or at least, it used to be, as now a large shape covered in tarp took over more than half of the space. She tried to figure out what was it, but the shape was anything but familiar. 

By the wall, numerous shelves stood, filled with various vials, mixtures, scrolls and books. There was a desk and a chair somewhere to her left, cluttered with notes and equipment she didn't know the purpose of. 

There was a window on the other side of the room, but she was too far away to see anything other than the sky night sky. 

The door opened and the Queen stifled a gasp at the incomer. His dark hair were longer than usual, dirty and messy. His eyes, barely visible from under the bangs, had dark circles around them. His cheekbones were visible, and the clothes he wore hang on him like one size too big.

All in all, he looked so much different she almost didn't recognise him. If it wasn't for the blue eyes and teal-coloured hairstripe, she would take him for anyone but not the cheerful boy she saw all those months on the Science Expo. 

Granted, it was a short encounter and they didn't talk at all. Arianna was quite sure the boy didn't even know she was there, but he made quite an impression on her, being so brilliant and intelligent as he was. 

"Varian?" She breathed out and the boy flinched for a second, before his shoulders squared and an awful grin appeared on his face. 

"Hello, Your Majesty. I hope you had a nice sleep." He said and Arianna could hear his voice being raspy and hoarse.

"What are you doing?" She questioned, unsure how to approach the situation. 

He clearly kidnapped her and was holding her hostage. But, at the same time, he was just a child, barely in his early teens. 

"Only what I have to." He replied, setting down the raccoon from his shoulders onto the desk. "I kindly asked for help and was denied, taken for a villain. So, I had to take up a different approach."

"Help? What kind of help?" The Queen was confused. This was the first time she heard of anything like this. What kind of help would he need, that would force him into this?

"What kind of-? Oh, don't play with me, Your Majesty!" Varian snapped, his eyes red from anger and something more, Arianna thought as she regarded his look once again. "You all ignored the problem far too long! But, if it doesn't affect you directly, it's not really your problem, isn't it?!"

"Varian, I have no idea what you are talking about... please, I just want to help..." She tried once again. 

"The black rocks!" The boy shouted, throwing his arms in the air. "They are everywhere, destroying the crops, the-the houses! Everyone was forced to leave their homes! Don't you dare to say you have no idea what I'm talking about!"

Arianna was shocked. Sure, she heard from Frederic black rocks were growing, Rapunzel mentioned it too, but she didn't think it was that bad. Her mind mulled the information, before she stuck on a specific sentence. 

"Varian... why are you still here?" She asked cautiously. "If everyone left, then why are you...?"

"I-I can't. Not when dad's-!" He stumbled on words, tears suddenly appearing in his eyes. 

It was such a drastic change from the outburst of anger before, Arianna didn't know what to do. The boy was shaking, tears falling from his eyes. He was mumbling something about black rocks, experiments, his father, amber and snowstorm. 

Suddenly struck by a thought, Arianna's eyes shot to the shape covered by a tarp. Her heart skipped a beat, as she noticed a part where the material didn't reach. 

There, hidden inside the golden crystal, was a hand. It clenched a piece of paper, with words 'Son' on it. She covered her mouth to stifle a startled gasp, as she finally understood. 

Suddenly, a loud sound took up all of her attention. She looked in Varian's direction only to see him sway, one hand reaching to his head, the other trying to grab the side of the desk for support. 

He missed by inches and stumbled forward, falling to the cold floor with a loud thump. 

"Varian!" She cried but the boy didn't respond. 

He lay motionless on the ground, his skin looking more pale than moments ago. The raccoon chittered anxiously and jumped down, running up to him. He pawed at the boy's cheek, chittering in agitation. 

Arianna wanted to run to the fallen alchemist, but a sharp pain in her ankle sent her tumbling to the floor. She cried out in pain and looked down, only now remembering she was shackled to the ground. 

The raccoon jumped at the sudden noise and turned to her, his eyes terrified. Their eyes locked for a moment, before it turned back to the boy and started shuffling through his pockets. 

After a few moments he scurried towards the imprisoned woman, something small and metallic in his mouth. He dropped it by her hands and looked at her expectantly. 

The Queen looked down and her eyes widened in shock as she noticed the key. She didn't ponder about it, quickly unlocking the shackle and approaching the boy.

He was still unmoving, and she reached out her hand to check for the pulse. Finding none she hesitated only for a second, before starting pressing down on his chest, checking every now and then if she could feel anything. The raccoon was sitting next to her, chittering nervously but he didn't disrupt her in any way. 

After several tense moments, she almost cried in joy, as her fingers felt a small pulsating under the boy's skin. His chest slowly raised and fell, and both the Queen and the raccoon let out a sigh of relief. 

"What happened...?" She wondered out loud, as she felt the tension leave her body. 

She looked over the boy's body, once more noticing the darkened skin under his eyes, visible cheekbones and far-too-small frame. 

The raccoon crooned sadly and gently pawed the boy's cheek. Arianna looked at the animal and a thought hit her.

"When was the last time he slept or ate?" She asked. The raccoon looked up to meet her eyes and let out a sad wail. 

Her eyes widened in realization, as she remembered what the boy was mumbling before, during his breakdown. She looked over at the covered shape, not needing to see it to know, what was hidden under the material. 

The snowstorm happened weeks ago. If that's when Quirin was imprisoned, then the boy was on his own for almost two months. She didn't think he stopped eating at all, because he would have been dead two weeks after. But certainly he didn't eat enough, which, added to serious sleep deprivation (as noticable by the dark circles under his eyes) was more than enough to put him in his condition. 

The Queen was so deep in thought she didn't hear the sounds from outside, until someone gasped loudly behind her.

She turned around startled, only to be tackled by her daughter and soon joined by her husband. 

"Mom, are you okay?" Rapunzel asked her, when she noticed a body sprawled on the floor over her mother's shoulder. "Is that Varian?!! What happened?!"

"It... it seems he had a heart attack." The Queen replied cautiously, to which the blonde gasped terrified.

"A-a heart attack?! But how? Why?" She questioned, moving to check on the unconscious boy. Finding the pulse she let out a relieved breath and turned back to her mother.

"I can't say it for certain, but I think he suffers from severe food and sleep deprivation. In some cases, might lead to heart attack." Arianna explained as gently as possible. She sighed and looked at her husband. "Frederic, he's been on his own for almost two months. I think that something happened during the snowstorm and Quirin is now..." Her eyes landed on the shape in the middle of the room. He followed her gaze and his eyes widened on realization. 

"I... I didn't know..." He said, shocked. 

"Varian said he asked for our help during the snowstorm but was denied." She looked at Rapunzel and the girl looked away, embarrassed. 

"I... he did ask, but there was so much going on and... he wanted me to go with him... and I couldn't do that." She replied, ashamed. "But... I didn't go check up on him after that. I guess... I just assumed that if everything was fixed when I banished the snowstorm, whatever happened to his father was too... I didn't know..." Her gaze moved to the unconscious boy on the floor. "Oh god, he must have thought I forgot about him! That I broke my promise! I... I promised him I would help if he needed it. And I left him alone for that long!" 

She broke out to a cry and Arianna hugged her, gently drawing circles on her back. 

"He-he must have worked himself to dead, trying to figure it out on his own!" Rapunzel cried in the Queen's embrace. "And it's all my fault!"

"Shhh, no one is blaming you for his condition, darling. It was his decision." Arianna reassured softly. "A bad decision, but his nevertheless."

"We'll take him to the castle." Frederic announced suddenly. "We'll make sure he gets the help he needs. Both physically and mentally."

"Thanks dad" Rapunzel smiled through tears. 

She moved away and stood up, Arianna standing up too. The man kneeled and gently picked up the small boy, cradling him in his arms. 

"Don't worry, Varian. I won't fail you this time..." Arianna heard Rapunzel say as they left the house, the raccoon following close after. "I promise..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a little research and sleep deprivation MAY cause heart attacks, or at least the body might be more prone to it. Other symptoms may include mood swings, which I also included.


	8. Till Death Do Us Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is my own imagination of my sick and creepy brain who decided it's a good idea to hurt me with whump while I sleep. Feel free to cry...   
> Trigger warning: character death, no happy ending

The weather was perfect. The sun was shining from above, granting the heat and light, oblivious to the scene taking place in a small town of Old Corona.

Rapunzel’s shoulders trembled as she tried her best not to cry. The wooden casket was slowly lowered into the hole, disappearing from her view.

To her right, Quirin was trembling, spasms of tears shaking his whole frame. She had never seen the man so broken before. He was the epitome of calmness. To see him in such a state… it was heartbreaking.

Adira and Hector both stood next to him, each on one of his side. She could see no tears in their eyes, but she knew they were feeling similar.

The gravedigger threw the first shovel of dirt down the hole and the large man let out a wail. His shoulders shook and if it wasn’t for Adira grabbing his arm, he would have jumped down the hole himself.

“No! No! No!” He cried, large tears falling down his eyes. “Why? Why him?!”

“Brother, there was nothing we could do.” Adira’s voice was steady but one could detect a hint of sadness in it.

“I should have been there with him! It should have been me!” He cried, the woman petting him in comforting manner on the shoulder.

Rapunzel’s breath hitched and she snuggled closer to her husband, his strong arm and warmth of his body helping just a little.

Eugene tensed at the words, his face frowning. His other hand tugged on his uniform, the Captain badge feeling like a dead weight at his chest. He was there, he remembered with a heavy heart. He was there but he was too late.

Finally, the last of the hole was covered and people started to leave. They each made sure to approach Quirin, saying their condolences and hugging the man. Soon, it was only few of them left, the Schnitz family, himself and Rapunzel, his father and the Brotherhood.

None of them dared to move, afraid that if they do they acknowledged that he was gone. Eugene sighed heavily and untangled his wife’s arm from his, slowly approaching the older man.

“Quirin… I am sorry.” He said, his eyes downcast. He already lost the count the number of times he said those words. But it didn’t make his heart feel better, less broken. “If I only got there faster…”

“Its not your fault, Fitzherbert.” Hector murmured. It felt weird to be comforted by the man, but he appreciated that, even if it didn’t help.

“I should have been there.” Quirin repeated, his voice hoarse and raspy from all the crying. “He asked me a million times to come but I always said I was to busy to attend some school event. If only I’d known…”

“But you didn’t.” Adira repeated firmly, as she did over and over since that fateful day. “None of us did…” Her eyes moved to Eugene and he smiled just a little.

“It’s not your fault some crazy maniac decided to burst in with a gun and start shooting to a bunch of kids.” Hector said, his voice harsh.

Everyone cringed at the reminder. It was the talk of the town for the past days.

_A shootout in the local high-school._

_Massacre in Old Corona High._

_Teenager dies saving his peers._

The headlines were the awfully true, the articles for once telling the facts, without lying.

During an annual Science Expo in Old Corona High, a crazy man suddenly entered the gym, where the event was taking place, and started shooting. Many of the students died, the whole room turning into chaos. In all this, a single student ran up to the attacker, trying to disarm him. During the struggle the gun fired, hitting the teenager straight in the chest. When the police arrived soon after, the boy was bleeding to death.

Eugene clearly remembered holding his bloodied body close, crying and praying for him to not close his eyes, to stay awake, the paramedics were coming. He remembered how the boy, struggling to breathe, asked if they managed to catch the attacker. How his face lit up just a little when he reassured him they did, that nobody else died.

He remembered how he said to tell his father, he’s sorry, how his bloodied hand fell limply to his side, chest falling and not rising again, blue eyes closing.

He cried that night. He cried every night after that day, nightmares haunting him every time he even dared to close his eyes.

If only he was faster, if only he managed to get through the crowd of panicked teenagers in time, if only…

“Eugene…” Rapunzel sounded to his left, her voice quiet and unsure. He looked over, her eyes red and puffy, tears lingering at the corners. “I… can we go home, please…?”

“… of course, Sunshine…” He mustered a slight smile and turned to Quirin. “Again… I’m sorry.”

Quirin didn’t answer, nodding only so slightly. Eugene reached for his wife’s hand and they left along with Edmund, Lance taking sobbing Kiera and Catalina soon after.

It was only three of them now. Them… and the gravestone. He felt a hand landing on his shoulder.

“Brother…” Adira’s voice was soft but demanding. He knew what she meant. He took one last glance at the gravestone, before turning on his heel, the words burning in his memory.

_In loving memory of Varian. A great son, nephew, brother and friend. We are proud of you._


	9. I'll Be Right Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An idea that popped to my head and I had to write it down. Trans!Varian and Rapunzel being a supportive friend and older sister. A gift for @thecinnamonroll-varian on tumblr.

It was late. Varian was lying on his bed, hidden beneath the covers. Ruddiger curled next to him, purring softly in sleep.

The boy petted him absent-mindedly. A quiet ping from his left startled him.

He turned over and reached for his phone, the screen lighting up the makeshift fort he created. His lips formed a small smile, as he saw who the message was from.

_Blondie0512: Hey, you awake?_

He chuckled as he typed the reply, his fingers dancing on the keyboard.

_Alchemist0324: I see you are :p_

_Blondie0512: Stayed too late. Inspiration hit and I had to make use of it._

_Blondie0512: [Picture]_

_Blondie0512: What do you think?_

Varian stared at the screen of his phone. The picture showed yet another painting Rapunzel did. She was really talented, he’d give her that. It was Eugene, standing proud in his Captain uniform.

The man was promoted not so long ago, working really hard to get where he was now. Varian smiled. He could really see the amount of love and adoration that radiated from the painting.

_Alchemisti0324: Looks great._

_Blondie0512: Thanks :)_

_Blondie0512: ... so..._

_Blondie0512: How are you feeling...?_

Varian’s breath hitched as he read the question. His grip on the phone hardened. He knew it was coming. She was too observant to let it pass.

_Alchemist0324: ..._

_Alchemist0324: I’m in the mood again..._

_Blondie0512: ... Is your dad home?_

_Alchemist0324: No. He has a night shift._

_Alchemist0324: Don’t worry, though. It will pass._

_Blondie0512: I’m just worried about you, Var..._

_Alchemist0324: Ruddiger is here._

_Blondie0512: If you say so..._

Varian stared at the screen. He didn’t know what to say. After a minute he locked the phone and put it away.

Ruddiger shifted next to him and he put his hand on the soft fur. It always seemed to calm him down, when he got in the mood. The raccoon, as if sensing his discomfort, shuffled closer and snuggled under his arm.

The boy didn’t know how long did he lay like that. Unmoving, lost in thoughts. Another ping shook him awake. He reached for the phone and stared at the screen, confused.

_Blondie0512: Open the window._

Surprised, he sat up, Ruddiger waking up at the sudden movement.

_Blondie0512: Var, it’s cold. Open the window._

Shocked, he jumped down from the bed and ran for the window, pushing it open. There, on the tree just outside his window, sitting on one of the branches, was Rapunzel.

“Finally.” She said as she took a step back and jumped.

Varian let out a startled scream as she fell, but she grabbed for his windowsill and quickly climbed inside, closing the window behind her.

“Brr, it’s freezing out there.” She shivered a little, hugging herself.

“What are you doing here?” The boy managed to choke out. Ruddiger chittered from his bed, as surprised as his owner.

“I just figured you might need some company.” She replied, reaching for the bag dangling from her shoulder. “Plus, I brought cupcakes.”

“It’s the middle of the night!” He argued but she waved her hand in dismissal.

“Neither of us was sleeping anyway.” She smiled so brightly he couldn’t even be mad at her.

“Wait!” He said as he remembered something. “Does anyone know you’re here?”

“My parents were asleep and Eugene is working on some particular tough case and decided to spend the night in the office.” Rapunzel replied, smiling mischievously. He couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“You are crazy.” He shook his head smiling. She smiled in response, putting her arm over his neck.

“That makes two of us.” She shrugged.

“No way. I am not **that** crazy.” He argued, untangling himself from her arm. He sat down on the floor, Ruddiger quickly moving to lay on his laps.

“Oh?” Rapunzel cocked her head and grinned. “Should I remind you how you thought it was a good idea to hide Ruddiger in your backpack just so you can take him to school?”

“T-That was one time!” He blushed in response. “And how was I to know they would serve apple pies in cafeteria that day?”

The blonde laughed, remembering how they tried to pry the greedy raccoon from the box full of treats. Varian’s dad was so angry, when he was called to school. It took some time to persuade the man to not kick out the animal out of the house.

Varian was silent, eyes downcast and lips in a thin line. He petted Ruddiger, the action comforting. Rapunzel’s smile fell and she shuffled closer.

“Hey... wanna tell me what happened?” She nudged his shoulder.

There was a moment of silence, before he finally shook his head. She frowned, but didn’t push. She still remembered the breakdown he had the last time she was too pushy.

She sighed and straighten her legs, staring at the ceiling of his room.

“Sorry...” He mumbled and she shook her head.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” She smiled a little at him, but he didn’t respond.

“... Dad deadnamed me today...” He said so quietly she barely missed. His shoulders started to tremble slightly. “I... I don’t think he did it on purpose. He just forgot. But...”

“It still hurt.” Rapunzel replied and he nodded, dropping his head.

‘I’m just.... I’m so confused sometimes.” His voice trembled, his eyes shone with gathering tears. “I chose this, but sometime I just...”

“Oh, Varian...” The blonde reached out and pulled him to lean on her shoulder. His breath was coming out in sharp gasps, his eyes prickled with tears, shoulders shaking.

“I don’t know who I am anymore, Rapunzel!” He cried. Ruddiger chittered sadly, his paws touching his cheek gently, eyes sad.

“It’s okay to be lost.” She comforted him, turning so she can hug him properly. The raccoon moved to his shoulders, making it easier for him to lean into the embrace. “That’s why I am here. To help you get through this.”

He cried openly now, large drops drenching the soft material of Rapunzel’s dress. She didn’t mind, though, whispering softly comforting words, her hand drawing small circles on his back.

“You want to know who I think you are?” She asked after a while, when he calmed down enough his crying subsided to small hiccups.

He tensed for a moment, before she felt him slowly nodding his head. She readjusted her arms around him and took a breath, before speaking.

“You are my best friend, my younger sibling. You are a genius child, figuring out the most complicated equations in a matter of minutes. You love chemistry and prefer to refer to it as ‘alchemy’.” He chuckled a little at that but didn’t make any other sounds. She released her embrace and put her hands on his shoulders, making him look at her. “You care about your friends and always try to find the solution that won’t hurt anyone. Sometimes you are impulsive, but you’re working on it. And yes, sometimes you feel lost with everything that’s going on in your life. But you never give up. No matter how bad things are, you always do your best, stand up and keep on living.”

Varian was wide-staring at her, mouth slightly ajar.

“Rapu-” He started but she interrupted him.

“Varian, for me it doesn’t matter what your name is, what gender you have, or who are you interested in.” She said, her eyes staring into his, eyebrows frowned and lips in a thin line. “What matters is what kind of person you are. Do you understand?”

He closed his mouth, mulling over the words.

“You... don’t care about it?” He asked quietly, not sure if he understood.

“Varian, you could be a human raccoon with pink fur and interest in trees and I’d love you the same.” She replied and he laughed.

“That’s scientifically impossible.” He choked out. She grinned in response and shrugged. He looked up and smiled. “But thank you.”

“You are welcome.” She smiled back and hugged him briefly again. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I would die for a cupcake.”

“Yeah, that might be a good idea.” He agreed, accepting the sweet treat.

When Quirin came back in the morning, he found them asleep on the floor, blanket covering the two of them, Varian leaning his head on Rapunzel’s laps, a content smile on his face.


	10. What I've Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from @darkwolfgoddess on tumblr: After Eugene asks Rapunzel how can she trust Varian after everything he did, he breaks down crying and others comfort him.

Varian observed how Rapunzel ran up to Eugene and hugged him. Reluctantly, he tried to follow, only to be stopped by a large tanned man he faintly recognised as Lance, Eugene's friend from their thieving times.

The man reached out and unceremoniously wiped off the fake goatee he drew on his chin. He frowned angrily, before his shoulders slumped in defeat. Yet another attempt at being taken seriously was futile. Why did he even bother anymore...?

He slowly moved to exit the cell, when Eugene stepped up, blocking the entrance.

"And where do you think you're going?" The man asked, brows furrowed angrily.

"Eugene, he's fine." Rapunzel said from behind. The former thief huffed, unconvinced.

"Blondie, you want to tell me that after everything he's done, you want to trust him?" He circled around the alchemist and the boy flinched.

That's right. How can she just jump into trusting him like that, when just moments ago they were enemies?

His breath hitched, his mind reminding him exactly why Rapunzel shouldn't trust him.

The Sundrop flower. Kidnapping the Queen. Threatening go kill Cass and the Queen. Threatening to kill HER...

No, don't go that way, Varian. You don't have time for that.

He faintly heard Rapunzel saying they need him because he was the one to figure out the compound, before she grabbed his wrists and pulled him along. He followed her, his mind spinning.

It was impossible. She couldn't trust him. Not after what he's done. His breathing quickened again and he closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.

He suddenly bumped into her, not noticing when she stopped. He stumbled and almost fell, if it wasn't for Eugene grabbing his shoulders and stabilizing him.

"What are you doing, kid?" The question was probably supposed to be out of concern, but Varian's mind decided otherwise.

What was he doing, exactly. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be helping them. He shouldn't be trusted. He shouldn't...

"Varian?" Rapunzel's voice shook him out of his own thoughts. She looked over to him, puzzled and... concerned?

"What?" He asked almost automatically, his own emotions turning it into a snarl. He stopped mid-track, realising how he sounded. "Sorry." He mumbled, head dropping, gripping his arm.

"Varian... are you okay?" She asked, sounding truly concerned. He didn't look up to meet her eyes., too afraid of his own emotions.

"Y-yeah. Everything is fine." He lied, mentally scolding himself for stuttering. Stupid voice.

"You are suspiciously quiet, kid." Eugene spoke up, eyeing the boy. "Usually you're quite a chatter box."

"Maybe I have nothing to say." Okay... that came out more aggressive than he wanted it to.

"Blondie... are you SURE we can trust him?" The man turned to his girlfriend, unconvinced.

"Eugene, he's changed. We talked it out. He's fine and I PROMISE we can trust him." She replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The boy flinched at the wording. Promise...

"Maybe you shouldn't promise things you have no control over..." He mumbled.

A silence that followed was making him uncomfortable. He shuffled his legs, eyes looking away from the group.

"What do you mean by that?" Rapunzel questioned, her green eyes staring at him in confusion.

"I mean... how?" He asked, gripping his arm tighter. It almost hurt but he didn't pay it any attention.

"I... don't understand." Rapunzel was puzzled. What's got into him. He was fine just moments ago...

"How can you trust me like that?" He mumbled, still looking away, the grip on his arm tightening, lips pursed. "For all you know, I can be still working with Saporians and..."

"Are you?"

The question caught him off guard.

"No!" He cried, head snapping up. Realising what he's done, he quickly looked away, ashamed. "I...I mean... I COULD... this could all be a trap and... and I could be just deceiving you all and..."

"Varian... what are you talking about?" Rapunzel was truly confused now. What was he going about?

"I... I don't understand, Princess." His hands clenched to fists by his sides. "I... I lied to you, I used you, I kidnapped the Queen... I tired to KILL YOU, Rapunzel!"

He was shaking visibly now, eyes clenched, trying hard to stop the tears from falling.

"Varian-"

"So how?! How can you trust me like that?!" He cried out. He crunched, head hidden in his hands, shoulders shaking with spasms of tears.

They stared at him, startled by the outburst. Rapunzel's heart fell, as she listened to his crying, looked at his hunched body. He looked so small and broken, so unlike the angry vicious boy they remembered from one year ago.

Eugene sighed heavily and crunched next to him, hand reluctantly touching the boy's shoulder. His breath hitched, startled by the sudden feeling, his wide eyes staring at the man.

"Look, kid." He started and sighed again. "You've done some bad things. REALLY bad things. I am not going to sugarcoat this. What you've done is waaaay worse than the worst thing I've ever done."

Varian's head dropped in shame, still crying softly.

"But..." Eugene continued, sparing a look at Rapunzel. "It seems like you finally get it. And you regret your actions. So she decided to forgive and trust you again. Because that's the kind of person she is."

"I still..." Varian's voice broke, unable to finish the sentence. He shook his head.

"Yeah, I don't understand it either, to be honest." The man shrugged and smiled. "But I don't have to understand everything. Because I trust HER. And if she trusts you, then I'll go along with it. Because, hell, maybe she's right. And maybe you did change. But let me ask you something." He put his hands on the boy's shoulders, making him look up to him, eyes red and puffy from crying. "You lost her trust once. Do you want to do it again?"

"No..." Varian whispered after a moment of silence. "No, I don't."

"There you have it." Eugene smiled proudly and patted the boy's head. "Now get up, because we have an air balloon to catch."

The alchemist nodded slightly and slowly stood up, accepting the hand offered by the man. He silently followed the group again, mind still mulling over what he heard.

"Did I ever tell you you're handsome when you act like a big brother?" Rapunzel playfully hit the man's shoulder and grinned.

"Big brother? Me?" Eugene smiled in response and spared a look at the alchemist, silently walking few steps behind them. "Well... maybe a little bit..." He agreed with a fond smile on his face.


	11. Hostage Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a request from PeaceandLove375. Stabbington brothers decide to take revenge on Eugene by going after someone he cares about. And when the princess is out of the question, they look for a more easy option.

“What do you mean, _escaped?_ ” Eugene shrieked, his voice trembling with both terror and anger. He wasn’t sure which one was stronger at the moment, as he stared at the wide-open door to the empty cell.

“I am terribly sorry, Captain.” The guard stationed in this particular part of the dungeons, Eugene faintly remembered his name being Dave, shrunk and dropped his head in embarrassment. “I heard screaming, it seemed to be some kind of emergency. One of them knocked me out the moment I stepped in to see what’s going on.”

Eugene let out a deep sigh and run a hand through his hair. He cast one more look at the empty room and faced his subordinate.

“Let it be a lesson for you to always be on guard around the prisoners.” He said with a grim face. “Especially as dangerous as those two.”

He quickly turned on his heel and left the guilty guard alone on his post. He had more important things to take care of. Only few minutes later, most of the guards were put on high alert, searching the city for the escapees.

Eugene leaned over the map, his eyes jumping from one place to the other.

“Come on. If I were an escapee from the royal dungeons, where would I go?” He muttered, gripping his chin thoughtfully.

“Eugene?” A female voice called from the doorway and he froze. He spun around, meeting concerned green eyes of his wife. Rapunzel reluctantly stepped inside, closing the distance between them. “What’s going on? The guards are all over the place. Did something happen?”

The Captain sighed and pushed away from the map. He turned his gaze away, not wanting for her to see his fear.

“Two of the prisoners escaped.” He replied vaguely. “We’re looking for them now. No need to worry.”

“Escaped? Who?” Rapunzel sounded more concerned than she was a moment before. “You wouldn’t alert the whole guard if they weren’t too dangerous.”

Eugene still refused to meet her eyes, afraid of what she would say if he told her the truth. He felt her grabbing his hands and giving them a light squeeze.

“Eugene, please.” She pleaded and he dared to spare a glance in her direction. She was concerned, but it was for him. He sighed and turned to face her.

“It’s the Stabbingtones.” He finally revealed. He noticed her flinch slightly at the name but she didn’t release her hold on his hands. “They.... Sunshine, what if they go for you? What if they do something to you and I can’t protect you?”

“Shh, it’s okay. I‘m here.” She reached out one hand and brushed his cheek tenderly. “Besides, I don’t think they would try to kidnap _the Princess._ ” She pointed out. “They are bound to know I am almost **always** surrounded by guards. No need to worry.”

“You... you’re right.” Eugene nodded and smiled. “I guess I am being overprotective.”

Just then, the door to the room blasted open and two guards rushed inside.

“Captain, we believe we have something!” Pete called out, Stan nodding in agreement.

“Someone saw the Stabbingtons stealing horses and riding off in the direction of Old Corona.” Stan added. Eugene’s blood ran cold. Old Corona. This was where-

“Ready the horses! We’re moving out now!” He barked the order, already moving to the stables.

_Please, please let me be wrong._ He pleaded, as he jumped onto Max and led his men the same direction the prisoners were seen going.

~~~~~~

Varian, for once, wasn’t in his lab. After several days of constant work his dad had finally put his foot down and demanded he go out and get some fresh air. Although with some reluctance, the teen finally gave in. He scooped up Ruddiger and decided to take a stroll through the nearby forest.

He had to agree, there was something about it, as he passed the trees. The weather was just right, and there was no one in sight. Perfect for clearing one’s mind and relaxing.

He was so enthralled by the nature, he didn’t realise he wasn’t alone, until Ruddiger tensed and started hissing from his spot on his shoulders. He turned around confused, and almost immediately ducked, as a large fist swooped where moments ago his head was.

He stumbled away, fearfully looking at the two large man standing in front of him. They looked very similar, like brother or even twins. They both had red hair and scars, one of them wearing an eye patch over his left eye.

“Wh-Who are you? What do you want?” He asked, taking another step back as they approached. Ruddiger’s claws were digging into his skin, the raccoon hissing angrily.

“Rider cares about you, doesn’t he?” One of them asked, as they continued their approach, Varian backing away fearfully.

“Rid- Do you mean Eugene? But who-?” His eyes suddenly widened in realisation, as something clicked in his mind. “You’re Stabbington brothers...” He breathed out, shaking. His back suddenly hit something and he turned to see a bark of tree.

He didn’t have time to move away, as the men closed the distance and towered over the trembling boy.

“Oh, so you know who we are.” One of the brothers mused and grinned, leaning over the teen.

“As for your second question...” The other reached out and grabbed Varian’s shirt, lifting him effortlessly. The alchemist yelped in surprise and tried to squirm away. “We want revenge. And what better way to get revenge than going after someone Rider cares about?”

Varian froze, his blood running cold. They were... they wanted to hurt, maybe even **kill** him just to get revenge on Eugene.

Before he could manage any kind of response, Ruddiger jumped from his shoulders with a cry, angrily clawing at the man who held the teen. Surprised, the Stabbington let go of the alchemist’s shirt and Varian fell down, barely managing to stay on his feet. He stumbled away quickly, calling for the raccoon.

“Ruddiger!” He cried, as he dug his pockets for something he could use. His fingers closed on the circular object and he took it out, noticing what it was.

Without further thought, he threw the bomb at the criminals, smoke covering the area almost instantly.

“Ruddiger, we have to-!” He stopped mid-sentence as he saw the animal flying out of the smoke and hitting the bark of the nearby tree. He let out a shriek and ran up to the fallen raccoon, eyes watering. ‘R-Ruddiger!” His hands trembled over the animal, afraid to touch it. He wasn’t moving, Varian noticed with terror.

He was about to call out again, when he felt someone grabbing him by the collar and lifting in the air.

“No, let go! Ruddiger!” He trashed in the hold, as one of the brothers managed to grab him more securely, pinning his hands to his sides. “Let me go!”

“Oh, shut up, brat.” Was the response he got before he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, causing him to cry out. His vision blacked out almost immediately and he fell limp in the captor’s hold.

“And now... to send the message to Rider.” One of the brothers laughed.

~~~~~~

It took an hour to get to Old Corona. A long hour Eugene spent on imagining the darkest scenarios of what they would find, when they finally get there. They varied from the bloodied corpse of Varian, to the whole village slaughtered and left out to bleed.

He was as tense as he could be, when the first houses finally came into view. The village looked as calm as always, but he knew better. He quickly ordered the guards to split up and look for the Stabbingtones, motioning Max in the direction of Varian’s house.

He shifted his feet nervously, as he waited for someone to open the door. The more time passed, the more dark thoughts occupied him. He was just about to knock again, when the door opened to reveal a large man.

“Quirin.” Eugene breathed out a sigh of relief as he saw the man. “Is Varian home?”

_Please, say yes. Please, say yes. Please, say-_

“No. I told him to get some air. He’s been scooped in his lab for days now.” The reply made the younger man froze. He wasn’t home... He wasn’t.

“Do you... do you know where he might be?” He tried to sound nonchalant but the older man seemed to understand something is off and gave him a quizzical look.

“He usually goes to the forest near the village. Is something-?” He didn’t manage to finish the question, as the Captain already spun on his heel and marched towards the trees. Quirin scratched his head in confusion as he observed the other man quickly disappearing between the trees, Max following close after.

Eugene came to an abrupt stop, as his ears picked on the familiar sound. He turned around a few times, before finally determining the direction it came from and almost running.

He came out to the clearing and his eyes almost immediately noticed a small grey figure slowly rising under one of the trees. He ran up and fell to his knees, scooping the hurt raccoon in his arms.

“Ruddiger. What happened? Where is Varian?” He questioned, noticing a trail of dried blood at the back of the animal’s head. He must have been thrown and hit the tree to gain such an injury.

Ruddiger chittered weakly, seeming sad. Eugene stood up and that was when he noticed a note pinned to the tree with a dagger. A very familiar dagger.

He tore the paper down, his eyes sliding over the words, feeling colder and colder with each sentence he read.

“Varian...” He breathed out, letting the note fall to the ground, his heart dropping. Ruddiger chittered sadly in his arms and Eugene hugged the raccoon closer. “Don‘t worry, buddy. We’re going to get him back. I promise.”

~~~~~~

Varian came to the sound of rushing water and wind howling in his ears. He groaned and tried to use his hands to push himself up, only to find them unable to move from his sides.

His eyes widened and he shot up, suddenly aware of the situation. He was abducted by the Stabbington brothers in the forest and knocked out, which meant he was now-

“Oh, look who finally decided to wake up, brother.” He heard a menacing voice and turned around to see the brothers sitting on a nearby rock, their lips turned into grins.

“What- What are you going to do with me?” He asked, his voice trembling in fear. He heard enough of the two from both Eugene and Rapunzel, to know they were extremely dangerous.

“We were thinking of throwing you off the cliff once Rider gets here.” One of them answered and Varian was both baffled by the truthful response and terrified by the idea. “I think it’s a good idea, don’t you, brother?”

“I have a better one.” Suddenly a familiar voice called out and Varian looked up to see Eugene standing few feet away, sword raised and brows furrowed. “Let Varian go and you will only be accused of escape and kidnapping, instead of adding murder to the list.”

For a mere moment, Varian dared to hope the Stabbingtons will give in. Everyone in Corona knew what was the fate that awaited murderers. At the least, they would be sentenced to lifetime in Royal Mines. At the worst....

A deep laugh cut the silence and the alchemist saw the Stabbington brothers shaking as they laughed loudly.

“Good one, Rider.” The one with the eyepatch said, the grin never leaving his face.

“Name’s Eugene.” The Captain replied through grit teeth, correcting the grip on his sword. “And I mean every word I said. Let the kid go.”

“You want us to let him go?” The other brother cocked his head and reached his large hand to grab Varian by his shirt. The teen yelped as he was yanked up and moved back, suddenly very aware of the lack of ground underneath and the wind tugging at his clothes.

“NO!” Eugene cried, one hand reaching out to the boy, taking a step in his direction.

“Well, undecided, are you?” The man laughed, releasing his grip slightly, enough for Varian to feel it.

The alchemist’s eyes widened in horror and he tried to squirm away, the rope tying his arms not helping in the slightest. He shot a terrified glance to Eugene, his eyes pleading.

“So, what will it be, Rider?” The large man asked, grinning. “Do you want me to let him go?”

Eugene grit his teeth in frustration and dropped his head, shaking it. The man’s grin widened and he pulled the boy away from the ridge.

“Thought so.” He said.

“What do you want?” Eugene asked, his eyes glancing between the brothers and Varian, still held in their grip.

“Revenge, Rider.” Came the reply, malicious as ever. “We want you to see how powerless you are, captain title or not.”

“Look, you’re angry with me, I get it.” The Captain tried to reason. “But it’s me you have business with, not Varian. He has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh, he has **everything** to do with it.” The eyepatch brother seethed. “You see, it’s not enough for us to kill you. We want you to look as we kill someone you care about, knowing you were powerless to stop us!”

There was shouting behind him, and Eugene knew the other guards were coming. He was running out of time. There was no way, the Stabbingtons were going to sit and wait until the rest of the guards get here, before trying anything. This would cut out their escape route, and they weren’t going to risk it.

Sparing a glance towards Max, he nodded his head slightly, hoping the horse would understand the message. The shouting was getting louder, signalling his men were close by. He hoped Max can hold the brothers long enough for them to arrive.

“Say goodbye to your friend, Rider.” The one holding Varian laughed before throwing his hand out and pushing the boy from the cliff.

Eugene reacted on instinct. He shot past the Stabbingtons, jumping after the falling teen, hoping to catch him before it will be too late. Varian’s screams filled his ears, as they were getting closer and closer to the end of the fall. Eugene pushed more, reaching out and managing to grab the alchemist moments before water closed around them.

~~~~~~

Eugene coughed as he broke the surface, wet hair covering his vision. He paddled over to the shore, dragging the, hopefully, unconscious body behind him. He them out, sparing only a second to cut the ropes before starting to push the boy’s chest.

Varian was deathly pale, his lips blue and skin cold. But Eugene refused to let any of dark thought overwhelm him.

One. Two. Three. Four.

He silently counted as he pushed on the chest, observing the boy for any signs of waking up. His eyes are getting misty but he still pushed, praying to whatever gods were up there to help him.

Then, after minutes of trying, Varian suddenly gasped and coughed, water spilling from his mouth. Eugene helped him turn over, gently patting his back as the boy spasmed with fits.

He finally stopped coughing and fell back to the ground, breathing heavily. But he was breathing. God, he was breathing.

The blue eyes slowly fluttered open, slowly focusing on the face in front of him.

“Eugene...?” Varian cracked out and the man felt the tears falling down his cheeks as he embraced the boy. “What-?”

“I thought I lost you, kid.” He whispered, pulling him closer to his chest. “Oh, god, I thought.”

“I... we... what...” Varian’s mind swirled to make sense of the situation. Why was he wet? Where were they? Why Eugene was so terri-

His eye widened as he suddenly remembered being pushed over the ridge, the feeling of falling, wind in his ears. Eugene reaching out to him, barely managing to catch him before his back hit the cold water. And then, darkness.

His breath hitched and he gripped the man’s shirt, as the realisation came. He almost died. He almost didn’t make it. He almost-

“Shh, it’s okay. You’re okay.” Eugene gently whispered to his ear, as he drew circles on his back. Varian trembled, crying into the man’s shirt.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like this. At some point he stopped crying, but didn’t let go of the man, snuggling close to his chest. He heard the other guards coming, the Stabbingtons’ angered shouts and threats in Eugene’s direction. He heard Eugene ordering to take the prisoners to the capital for the trial, felt him gently unhooking his hands from the shirt.

“Varian. Kid.” Eugene called out, the boy still too out of it to react. “Hey, look at me.”

He slowly raised his head, meeting the man’s gaze.

“Do you... do you want me to take you home?” He gently asked. Varian flinched and quickly shook his head.

“Not home.” He whispered, eyes downcast. “I don’t...” He trailed off, unsure how he wanted to continue.

“Okay, not home, got it.” The man nodded, going silent for a moment. “To the castle then? You can sleep in my room today, if you want.”

Varian slowly nodded. Eugene understood. He understood too well.

Without more words, he stood up and led the shaken boy to Max. He helped him up, before jumping to sit behind, securing his arms around him.

He would have to let Quirin know what happened, and that Varian was spending the night at the castle. He’ll send one of the guards with the message, he decided as they rode back towards the capital, the boy silent.

He almost lost him, he remembered as the trees gave way to the houses of Old Corona and then bare road leading to Corona. And this won’t be something either of them is to forget in a long while.


	12. Strangle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by yet another amazing art by wheredomelodiescomefrom on tumblr, which you can check out here:  
> https://wheredomelodiescomefrom.tumblr.com/post/618293035580735488/sorry-mum-black-rock-collar-2-versions-i

"Cassandra, please!" Varian begged, running up to the woman and grabbing her wrist. "You don't have to do this."

"You are wrong." She snarled and yanked her arm free. "I HAVE TO do this."

"Cass, I know what it's like. I've been there." The boy tried to persuade. "But becoming the villain is not-"

"Is that what you think I am?!" Cassandra snapped and pushed him away.

He backed away, almost tripping on his legs. His eyes widened as the woman came closer, rage in her eyes.

"Ca-Cass. I just want to help!" He cried, and flinched, when his back hit the wall.

The blue-haired woman stopped only inches before him, looking over his smaller body. His terrified eyes locked on her enraged ones.

"I don't need your help!" She shouted, clenching her fist.

The tower rumbled and Varian tensed, eyes darting around in panic. Cassandra grabbed him forcefully and he yelped in pain and surprise.

"Don't move." She hissed but she didn't really have to say it. His mind went blank, body frozen in terror.

Something closed around his neck and his eyes widened, hand subconsciously reaching towards it. He froze again, when his fingers met a rough, spiky surface instead of skin.

"Cass, what-" He started but the woman closed her fist and suddenly something squeezed around his neck.

His eyes went wide, breathing hitched as he tried to pull off the rocks. They pushed on his windpipe, cutting out the oxygen.

He went into complete panic mode, wheezing and clawing at the collar around his neck. Blank spots danced at the corner of his vision, a sure sign of the lack of air.

He fell down, still desperately trying to pry off the rocks. The hold was getting tighter and tighter, less oxygen getting to his lungs. And the fact he was hyperventilating wasn't helping the case.

Then, as sudden as it started, the squeeze receded and he gasped for air, panting heavily. His ears rang, sound muffled and vision blurred.

Cassandra was saying something but he couldn't understand a word. She must have noticed that, because she gave a frustrated huff and created more stones, trapping the exhausted alchemist.The last thing he remembered before finally losing consciousness was the feeling of wind tugging on his hair.

~~~~~~

“Use the Sun to see the Sun? What does that even mean?!” Varian let out an exasperated huff and threw his goggles and scroll. The parchment, luckily, got stuck on one of the bars of his cage, goggles hanging from another spike.

He crossed his arms and sat back, leaning over the rock surface. A ray of light caught his attention and he looked at the scroll. The sun was being reflected in the glass from his goggles, revealing hidden text on the other side.

His eyes widened with realisation and he scrambled closer, a geeky smile appearing on his face.

“Of course! The incantation was hidden with photochromic ink! Demanitus, you genius!” He cried out happily, admiring the parchment.

He was so invested in deciphering the words, he barely noticed someone calling his name. He turned and squinted his eyes, noticing long blonde locks of one of two figures standing in the entrance to the tower.

“We’re going to get you out, kid!” Eugene called and the boy’s eyes moved to the scroll. He took a moment before answering.

“Not now! I’ve found the final incantation! It was hidden with photochromic ink! Obvious, right?” He called back, letting out a small chuckle. The grumble from the opening told him they weren’t that much interested as he was. “But I need the constant ray of light to read it. Something like prism or...”

“Crystal?” Rapunzel asked and he saw her taking something out of her bag. Eugene seemed to be genuinely surprised and pleased.

The two exchanged few words, before the man kissed Rapunzel on the cheek and started to make his way towards the alchemist’s cage.

Varian was looking between Eugene and the sun, anxiously waiting for him to finally deliver the crystal. The sun has almost set and they needed to hurry.

“Eugene, the sun is almost gone!” He called out and saw the man wobble and fall, barely grabbing the rocks to stop himself from falling.

“I’m going as fast as I can, kid.” The brown-haired man grumbled in response and shuffled closer, reaching out his hand towards him.

Varian quickly caught the object and tilted his head as he noticed it being a ring. An engagement ring, to be exact. He decided to not dwell on it, turning to his work.

Eugene gasped sharply behind him.

“Kid, what is **that**?!” He asked and Varian sent him a confused look.

“It’s Demanitus scroll, Eugene.” He replied, not sure why the man sounded so terrified.

“No, that’s- I know it’s Demanitus scroll!” Eugene’s eyes wasn’t on the parchment, but rather on... “What do you have around your neck?”

Varian froze for a moment, before one of his hands slowly rose to reach the questionable part. His eyes widened in realisation as fingers brushed the rough surface. Oh, right. The collar.

“That’s...” He trailed off, looking away. What should he say? That Cassandra put a collar of black rocks around his neck? That she tried to strangle him with it?

“Did Cassandra do that?” Eugene asked and Varian looked away, opting to focus on the incantation. “No, of course she did. No way you did it yourself. It’s made of black rocks, for Sun’s sake!”

“It’s working!” Varian shouted happily, for a moment forgetting about the collar around his neck.

He cried out, when the scroll caught fire. He wasn’t paying attention and the concentrated beam of light wavered too long in one spot. He scrambled with one hand for the paper and pencil, writing down the incantation as fast as he could.

He let go of the last piece of scroll, sighing in relief at the piece of paper with written down final incantation.

“I got it!” He gave the man a toothy grin and Eugene smiled in response, before his eyes fell on the boy’s neck again. The former thief frowned, smile wavering.

“What happened?” He asked, eyes full of worry. Varian looked away.

“I... I tried to talk to her but...” He reached to tug on his gloves, the collar suddenly seeming to suffocate him. “I think I only made her more mad.”

“Kid, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Eugene reached through the bars and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He seemed to want to ask something else, but then the cage shook and moved back towards the tower.

“Eugene?” Varian’s eyes were filled with fear. Eugene grit his teeth and reached out his hand for the boy to hold onto.

“Stay close, kid.” He said, before they were pulled inside.

Only moments later Eugene was pulled away, encased in black rocks, Cassandra squeezing the man mercilessly. Varian looked around and noticed Rapunzel pinned to the wall just few feet to his left. His eyes fell on the note he still held in one hand.

“Rapunzel!” He cried, reaching out the hand with the note through the bars. “I have the final incantation! You have to-!”

His words were lost as the collar suddenly tightened, pushing on his windpipe. The note fell from his hold as he struggled to breathe.

“Varian!” Rapunzel and Eugene both cried out, as the boy lay on the floor, wheezing and clawing at the collar.

“Rapu... the inca... plea...” He mumbled, not able to get out a coherent sentence as he got less and less oxygen.

“Cass! Stop!” Rapunzel cried, eyes watering.

His vision was blurring, sounds muted. He felt like he was being held underwater. Unable to breathe. Unable to hear. Unable to see.

 _So this is how I’m going to die?_ , he thought as it was harder to keep his eyes open. He thought he saw something grabbing the note from the floor, but he might have as well been hallucinating.

And then, the hold on his neck loosened. He gasped, taking deep breaths, filling his lungs with oxygen.

“Kid! Varian!” He heard Eugene call out to him with terror in his voice. “Varian!”

“I... I’m okay...” He somehow managed to reply, voice raspy. He rolled to his back, staring at the ceiling, breathing heavily. “I’m okay.”

Eugene opened his mouth to say something more but a sudden explosion startled them both. Varian looked up to see Rapunzel and Cassandra stuck in a duel, two coloured energies clashing with each other.

The wind picked up and suddenly there was no cage holding the boy in place. He started to move towards the ridge and his eyes widened in terror. He didn’t even notice the collar crumbling away, too focused on his body sliding away.

“Eugene!” He called out frightfully. Then, before any of them managed to react, he was pushed away and fell.

~~~~~~

They were back at the bottom of the tower. The moment Eugene and Rapunzel walked through the door, they ran up to the alchemist and locked him in a tender embrace. It took only a moment, but when he was wrapped in a tight hug, the dam finally broke.

The kidnapping, the drugging, the collar and being strangled, being locked up in a cage hundreds of metres above the ground, strangled again and finally falling to his death. It all came back at once, and he teared down, desperately holding to the two adults.

He didn’t know how long was he crying. At some point Lance, Catalina and Kiera joined in, all lovingly embracing him, as he cried his eyes out. When he finally had no more tears, he slowly released the two adults he took hold to.

“Better now?” Rapunzel asked softly and he nodded, wiping the last of the tears from his eyes.

“Sorry...” He mumbled, eyes downcast. His hand subconsciously went to his neck, startling when he actually managed to touch it.

“Erm, you might consider wearing higher collars for some time.” Eugene said as he eyed the boy’s neck. “Or a scarf.”

“That bad?” Varian asked and Eugene stared for a moment before nodding. The boy sighed tiredly.

“Dad’s going to have a fit.” He said and chuckled nervously.

“Want me to come with?” The man offered and Varian smiled in response.

“Nah, I’ll figure something out.” He replied. “Not the worst of the injuries I had over time.”

“Kid, that’s not reassuring.” Eugene shot him a concerned gaze and the boy laughed.


	13. Team Genius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a request from sailordiamondkitty on tumblr:  
> A crossover of TTS/BH6/CS. Varian goes to San Fransokyo for the Expo. There is a theft. Hiro and Varian must work together with Player to stop the criminals (bc Carmen is busy somewhere else).   
> Hope you like it!

“ _Alchemist to Zero. What’s your status?”_ The communicator in Hiro’s helmet sounded and the boy rolled his eyes.

“I see the target. They are entering the building. Can’t see the cargo, tho.” He replied. “And what’s with the codenames?”

“ _Because I think it’s unfair only Player gets to have one.”_ The person on the other side replied and Hiro rolled his eyes again. So childish.

“ _Because I have to stay anonymous.”_ Another voice cut in. “ _And remember this is only for one job. Normally I’d send Red, but she has her hands full in Seul already.”_

_“Yeah, yeah.”_ The previous voice dismissed and Hiro could hear the sizzling of acid. “ _Anyway, I’m in. Let’s get my stuff back and go already. I have an Expo to win.”_

_“_ In your dreams, Va- Alchemist.” Hiro corrected himself quickly. No matter what he said about codenames, he didn’t want to risk anyone hearing their real names. “The prize is mine.”

“ _You wish!”_ The other replied and Hiro chuckled.

“ _Guys, work now, bicker later.”_ Player called with an exasperated huff. “ _Besides, if I was there, none of you would even stand a chance.”_

Hiro decided to leave it at that, opting to focus on the mission instead. He still had no idea why someone would steal Varian’s chemicals, but it was always better safe than sorry.

The Expo was an international science event, when the scientist from all around the globe met in one place to show their latest inventions and fight for the main prize, the title of Scientist of the Year. What was amazing about the Expo, it allowed both adults and teenagers like him, or Varian, compete alongside.

_You never know where the genius is hiding_ , was the Expo’s motto. He and Varian met on the event few years ago, and became quick friends, despite being rivals in the contest.

Varian didn’t live in San Fransokyo. The boy was German and was extremely intelligent. He spoke several languages, English, French and Italian being only few of them, except for his native German. He was into chemistry the most, but also had a knack for engineering.

They often spoke online, comparing their latest inventions, sharing stories and giving advice to one another.

Player, on the other hand, was a mystery. Hiro never saw the guy, but from what he’d learned, he was only a year or two older than himself, and extremely intelligent too. He was a talented hacker who lived in Ontario, Canada, and preferred to stay at home.

He contacted Hiro on the day of the Expo (how he got his phone number, he had no clue) and told him about the upcoming heist happening at the Expo. Apparently, some group called V.I.L.E. was planning to steal some very dangerous chemicals during the event.

Player explained he’d normally didn’t bother uninvolved people, but the chemicals are supposed to be extremely dangerous in wrong hands, and his usual team was busy somewhere else.

A short talk with Honey Lemon confirmed Player’s info, so Hiro decided to help the boy, if only to stop the criminals from doing something really bad. So, imagine his surprise, when the stolen chemicals turned out to belong to Varian.

The German scientist absolutely refused to let Hiro go after the thieves alone, claiming his knowledge of what exactly the chemicals were and how to best contain them will only help him. Player agreed shortly after and Hiro gave the boy a spare communicator, so they can all communicate with no trouble.

Hiro’s scaled down from the building across the street, where he was positioned, and approached the abandoned warehouse the criminals went in. He pushed himself against the wall, stealing a glance through one of the windows.

There were only two people inside, a blonde woman in a tight suit and mask covering her face, and a man dressed like a mime. Quick conversation with Player revealed their names to be Tigress and Mime Bomb respectively.

The woman held out a hand with a suitcase. A quick glance told Hiro it contained the stolen chemicals, as he noticed the moon emblem on the front, which was the symbol Varian used to mark his property.

Hiro peeked out some more, and noticed the said boy crouching behind one of the crates in the warehouse, observing the two. Varian’s hands twitched and Hiro knew they didn’t have much time.

“Don’t do anything stupid, V.” He whispered into the communicator, which only earned him an annoyed huff. God, this was terrible idea to bring him along.

Varian was extremely possessive over his things. Sure, he let people see them, but if you try to even touch them without his consent...

“Va-Alchemist!” He called out more urgently, hoping to stop the boy from doing anything reckless.

Varian had literally no experience with criminals. Hiro met and fought with his fare share, but the German boy was a complete rookie. If he doesn’t do anything now it’s-

Just then it seemed like Varian’s patience finally reached his limit. He jumped from behind the crates with a battle cry, brandishing some colourful balls in each hand, strangely similar-looking to the ones used by Honey Lemon.

“Crap! Player, I’m going in!” Hiro called out and pushed away from the wall, running to the door.

He heard shouts and some explosions from the inside. He pulled the door open and hoped for the best, bursting inside. His eyes felt on the scene in front of him and stopped, dumbfounded.

“ _Zero, what’s going on there?_ ” Player called out in his ear, but the boy was too shocked to reply. “ _Hiro!_ ”

“You... just access my helmet camera and see for yourself.” Hiro sounded tired.

He heard fast typing and then a gasp of surprise, which told him Player finally had a visual. And what visual was that.

Mime Bomb was sprawled out on the floor, stuck in some pink goo, looking confused at the ordeal. Tigress was on the other side of the room, stuck to the wall with the same kind of substance, snarling and shouting in anger at someone crouching on the floor.

That someone was Varian, who frantically worked to open the suitcase, his hands trembling in fear. Finally, the lock clicked open and the boy let out a sigh of relief.

“Nothing is broken. Thank the Sun.” He breathed out and closed the suitcase. He picked it up and stood up, staring at the woman glued to the wall. “What were you thinking, throwing it like that?! Don’t you know if any of those broke it would be a disaster?! We could all die!”

“I wouldn’t have to throw it, if you didn’t attack us!” Tigress snarled back angrily and tried to pull herself free. “Who even are you?”

“I’m the one who made those chemicals, you dumbass!” Varian shouted back, not even noticing Hiro standing in the now-open door. “If you steal something, at least learn what to NOT DO with it!”

“ _Is Varian just... lecturing her?”_ Player asked. Hiro could almost see his wide-open eyes threatening to fall out of the eye sockets.

“Yup.” He confirmed, staring blankly at the scene.

“ _Is he normal?”_ The Canadian sounded shocked. Hiro shrugged.

“Is any of us?” He replied and earned a sigh and a snort in return. “Are the police coming?”

“ _Oh, yeah. I gave them an anonymous tip few minutes ago, They should be here soon.”_ Player finally seemed to shook himself awake. “ _Better leave before they arrive.”_

“Sure. Hey, Alchemist!” He called out, sparing the trapped woman another tirade of insults.

Varian turned around and smiled.

“Hey, Zero. Got my stuff!” He raised the hand with the suitcase and waved with the other. “Easy-peasy.”

“Good, ‘cause the police is going to be here soon.” Hiro could already hear the sirens coming closer. “We gotta go.”

“Oh, right!” Without further stalling, Varian ran up to him and they left the two criminals still stuck by the peculiar goo.

They were already several blocks away, when Player finally deemed it safe enough to stop running.

“By the way.” Hiro turned to panting Varian, who rose his head in question. “What’s with the goo?”

“Oh, that?” Varian grinned, showing his bunny teeth and pulled out a pink ball from his pocket. “It’s my own invention. Sticks to everything it touches. I actually came up with it as a more humane way to get rid of the pests back in Old Corona. But it works just as well at stopping idiots from doing more harm than they already did.”

“Nice.” Hiro nodded. “How long does it take to dissolve?”

“Few hours. That is, unless you have a dissolver at hand, which I have right here.” Varian fished out another ball, this time green and cackled. “Serves them right for stealing from me.”

“Remind me to never get on your bad side.” Hiro laughed and shook his head at his friend. “Are we clear to go back to the Expo now, Player?”

“ _Sure thing. Thanks for the help, guys.”_ Player replied.

“Oh yeah! Go Team Genius!” Varian laughed and raised a fist in the air.

“We really have to talk about those codenames.” Hiro let out a tired sigh and Player laughed in his ear.


	14. Blood in My Veins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a post on tumblr (https://charismaquark.tumblr.com/post/613608258213740544/what-if-inverse-vamparian)
> 
> Saporians are Vampires and they find out Varian's blood is something they like.

At first Varian didn’t suspect a thing. So what, his jail-mate seemed to be more awake during the night than day? It didn’t even disturb him how he always scooted away from the daylight pouring through the small window. After spending months in the darkened cell he, too, started to show symptoms of photophobia.

It was after their escape and taking over the kingdom he started to notice it wasn’t just Andrew. All of the Saporians tended to stay away from the daylight. They ordered to cover the windows with dark curtains, basking the interior of the castle in darkness. They never came out during the day, unless it was cloudy or raining. Varian couldn’t fathom, why all of them shared such peculiar dislike to sunlight.

Then, it started to get weirder. Whenever he worked in his lab, which was situated so low there was no windows inside, pushing him to use candles to even see anything, one of the Saporians was there. It wouldn’t bother him that much, if not how they always trailed after him, keeping too close for his own comfort. One time, he was quite sure he caught Clementine sniffing him.

But it wasn’t until few months after their escape that he finally learned, what was wrong with Saporians.

He just finished work for today, deciding to rest a little. His eyes were closing on their own and he could barely keep himself steady, as he walked towards his bedroom. Andrew trailed behind him like a shadow. It still sent the chill down the alchemist’s spine, no matter how much time has passed.

He finally managed to drag himself to his room and pushed the door forwards, making way towards his bed. The door behind him closed with a loud clank and he turned, surprised to see Andrew turning the key in the lock.

“What are you doing?” He asked confused.

The Saporian turned to him and the look he gave the boy was nothing like he’d ever seen. Andrew’s eyes bore into his small frame, assessing him, almost EATING him. It was disturbing, to say the least.

“I have no idea, what you’re doing in this lab of yours kid...” Andrew said, stepping closer, a sinister smile on his lips. “... but whatever it is, the smell of your blood is just breathtaking.”

“What?” Varian blinked and stepped back, tripping over the leg of the bed. He lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on the plush blankets.

Before he could react, Andrew closed the distance and was looming over the terrified boy. He licked his lips in delight and leaned closer, sniffing on Varian’s neck.

“Yes... I’ve never smelled something like this before.” He murmured, hands gently but firmly pinning the alchemist to his bed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to held myself any longer.”

“What do you-?” Varian’s question was cut as Andrew lunged forward and he felt something sting his neck.

He let out a startled gasp. He tried to push the man away, to escape the grasp, but he couldn’t. He felt weaker by the second, his vision fogging. Finally, the pressure on his neck disappeared, followed by unpinning him from his bed.

Andrew pulled away and licked his lips again, a drop of red trailing down his chin.

“Ah, I knew you were special, kid.” He grinned and Varian could swear his teeth were sharper than they should be. The man reached out his hand and gently cupped the alchemist’s cheek. “Sleep now. We’ve got so much time before us.”

Varian tried to argue, tried to get the man explain himself. But his clouded mind refused to cooperate. His vision blackened and he passed out, two bite-marks visible on his pale neck.

~~~~~~

After that night, it became a somewhat usual occurrence. To Varian’s dismay, it wasn’t only Andrew. All of the Saporians shared the same trait and he started to find himself pinned and bitten in the neck more times than he would like. It came to the point he was constantly on edge, watching over his shoulder, trying to spot red eyes in the darkness of the hallway.

No matter how much he wanted to find another, scientific explanation for their behaviour, he was painfully aware of who exactly were they. Vampires. The creatures he only read in fairy tales, never believed to truly exist. If it wasn’t for the constant pain in his neck, his growing paleness and developing anaemia, he wouldn’t believe it either.

Somewhere along the time, he started to wear a coat with high collar, to hide the sickening sight every time he looked into the mirror. It helped a bit, but the marks were still visible, so he purchased a bandana, which successfully managed to cover his neck.

It was only for show, he knew. So that he could pretend everything was alright. Pretend his allies weren’t bloodthirsty creatures preying on him. Pretend he wasn’t getting more and more tired as the days went by...

~~~~~~

When Rapunzel came back, at first he was furious. It was the first emotion he felt, seeing the woman who destroyed his life, made him a criminal.

After the Princess and her friends were pushed away from the castle, Andrew didn’t even bother to wait until Varian was back in his room. He sunk his teeth right there, earning a moan of pain from the boy. The man murmured something about how anger made his blood even more enthralling. It was hard to pay attention, as his vision swum once again, his limbs losing strength.

He awoke in his room, neck hurting from the bite. He curled on himself, weeping silently over his fate. 

Then, the Princess came back, sneaked inside right under their noses. Apparently, she was found crying in Cass’ room, holding her dress to her chest. If it wasn’t for that, Varian wasn’t sure she would be found and caught.

But there she was, stuck behind the bars as he once was. The irony of the situation was laughable, to say the least. He bantered to her how she made his life miserable, how he’s going to fix it up himself, because he couldn’t count on her. And then, everything went south.

The Saporians revealed they were planning to use the unstable Quirineon to blow up Corona. Varian was furious. Not only they used him a their personal food source, the thought of which sent a chill up his spine, but they even refused to listen to one request he had, that no one got hurt!

In a spur of a moment he tried to trap them, throwing a bomb in their direction. But, of course, nothing ever goes like he wants it too. The bomb turned out to be a bathbomb, useful when you want to take a quick bath, but useless to use AGAINST someone.

Andrew laughed, his eyes glinted red, and Varian shivered, backing away.

“Bad move, kid.” The man stepped closer, licking his lips. The alchemist could see the teeth sharpening.

“Don’t you dare hurt him!” Rapunzel cried from behind him. If Varian wasn’t frozen in fear, he would have laughed. So NOW she’s concerned about his well-being, huh?

“Oh, don’t worry, princess.” Andrew was now so close, the boy could smell the cologne he used. The man leaned forward and sniffed, letting out a pleased sigh. “We would never hurt our favourite snack, would we?”

Before the princess managed to process what he said, Andrew pulled away the bandana from Varian’s neck and sunk his teeth. The alchemist cried out, as the man was more forceful than usual. His teeth sunk deeper, he was sucking blood with more strength.

Varian’s knees buckled, his eyelids started to close. Andrew pulled away and watched the boy fall to the floor, wiping the blood from his mouth.

“Consider it a punishment for your disobedience, kid.” He said, kneeling next to the alchemist, the hazy blue eyes staring at him through the fog. “You are mine now.”

Varian’s eyes closed, world turning black. He didn’t hear Rapunzel crying out his name, begging the Saporians to let him go. He didn’t feel Kai pick him up, sling over his shoulder and take him away. He didn’t hear the cling of metal, as he was chained to the floor in the airship.

~~~~~~

“-an... -rian...” His hazy mind picked out, but he was too out-of-it to understand what was being said.

He felt so weak. His neck hurt, and so did the rest of his body. He just wanted to sleep.

“-rian...! Varian!” This time the words sounded clearer. Someone was calling him, voice concerned. “Varian, please. Open your eyes.”

Easier said than done, he thought, feeling as if his eyelids were made from stone. After several attempts he finally managed to pry them open, even if only slightly. His vision was blurred, but he spotted something distinctively familiar and purple just in front of himself.

“Eugene, he’s not waking up!” Someone called, voice trembling as if they were crying. Eugene... he knew that name... And purple meant...

“Rapu.....nzel...?” He managed to breathe out, voice hoarse and barely audible. The purple moved and something yellow and very bright appeared before his eyes.

“Oh my god! Varian!” It was truly her. She leaned down and he was pulled into a bear hug. “I thought we lost you! When they all started to...” She trailed off, not letting him go yet. “You were so pale, we could barely feel your pulse!”

“You gave us quite a scare, Goggles.” He heard a male voice. Eugene.

“Wha...? Where...?” Varian’s mind was still hazy, barely registering what Rapunzel was talking about. What has happened? Why was he so weak? Why did his neck hurt so much?

“The Saporians almost killed you, kid.” Eugene spoke up. Varian moved his head to the dark-blue blur which seemed to be the man. “They were all sucking up your blood like maniacs. Crazy, if you ask me.”

Varian tensed at the explanation. Usually it was only one of them that... drunk. And they gave him time to rest and his body to refill the lost blood. If they all tried drinking so shortly after the situation in jail...

He trembled and subconsciously reached out to grab Rapunzel’s dress. He almost died. He almost died. He almost-

“Varian, calm down.” Rapunzel called out. He didn’t even notice when he started hyperventilating. “Deep breaths. You are safe now. They are not going to hurt you anymore.”

He gripped her dress tighter, burrowing his face in her chest. Tears stained the purple material, dumping it. His whole frame shook, as he cried and hiccoughed, Rapunzel gently stroking his back.

You are safe. You are alright. You are not alone.

She spoke quietly, whispering into his ear as he trembled and weeped. And, this time, Varian believed her.


	15. Equivalent Exchange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another one-shot inspired by @wheredomelodiescomefrom picture (https://wheredomelodiescomefrom.tumblr.com/post/621009989033738240/equivalent-exchange-tell-me-princess-will-you)  
> The finale battle takes an ugly turn, when Zhan Tiri decides to use Rapunzel's compassion against her. What choice will she make? And how will it affect her kingdom and friends?  
> WARNING: Character Death, No Happy Ending

Rapunzel didn't know what to expect when she arrived at the courtyard, but the sight that welcomed her wasn't like anything she imagined.

The defenders of Corona were sprawled all over the yard, most of them locked in rock cages, similar to the one she and Cass were trapped in just moments ago. The few lucky ones still free, were barely managing to hold their own against the ominous goat-headed demon.

She heard a gasp to her right and noticed Cassandra cover her mouth in horror. They both visibly flinched as Pete was hit by one of the tentacles and flew straight into the wall, leaving a dent in the stone.

"This is worse than I thought..." Cassandra whispered horrified, wide eyes scanning the battlefield. "Raps, I don't think-"

Her words were interrupted as a masculine pained cry cut the air, followed by even more pained "Dad!". They both turned to the source of the cry, noticing Quirin falling limply to the ground, Varian rushing to his side.

He hastily slid down Ruddiger's back and fell to his knees next to his father. The man let out a pained grunt and tried to sit up, only to be stopped by the boy.

"Do-don't move, dad." Varian's voice trembled and his vision swimmed at the sight of his father's injury. "I-I'll try to stop the-the bleeding."

He gulped visibly and pushed away the nausea building up in his stomach. With trembling hands he undid his apron and tied it securely around the wound.

"Aaaah, and who do we have here?" The demon's voice boomed over their heads and they both tensed.

Before any of them could react, a black tentacle wrapped around the boy's body, swiping him off the ground. Varian reached out his hand for his father, hoping to escape the hold, only for their fingers graze against each other, missing by mere millimetres.

"So this is the famous alchemist, who almost brought Corona to its knees." Zhan Tiri mused, as she brought the boy closer to her face.

Varian was so terrified, he didn't react even when the tentacle squirmed up his body, catching his arms over his head, squeezing on his chest and neck. His vision blackened and he could swear he heard his ribs screetch, threatening to break under the pressure.

"We could have made quite the team, don't you think?" The demon went on, clearly enjoying the pained expression of the alchemist. "Such a shame, really. I really saw some potential in you, boy."

Varian wheezed, sharp breaths coming from his squeezed lungs. He heard his father cry out his name from where he was lying. He could picture him trying to stand up, trying to get to his son.

"Zhan Tiri!" The female voice reached his eardrums and he felt a wave of relief. Rapunzel was here.

"Ah, dear Sundrop." The demon turned around, facing the enraged woman. The tentacle turned over too, so that Varian could see the blonde, instead of the demon's face.

"Let him go!" Rapunzel ordered authoritatively, eyes narrowing.

"What should I?" Zhan Tiri laughed, the tentacle squeezing harder, black spots covering more of the boy's vision. "He's a traitor, is he not?"

"I said, let him go!" Rapunzel repeated, teeth clenching.

"Tell me, Princess, will you surrender just to save the life of this little traitor?" The demon lifted her tentacle, as if to show Varian to her.

"R-Rapu-" The alchemist breathed out, his voice cracking and not managing to get the whole word out. The hold tightened and he let out a silent whimper, his ribs grunting in protest.

"Hush, child. Let the adults talk." Zhan Tiri tutted, as if she was scolding an insolent child.

"Varian!" Quirin cried out, failing yet another attempt at lifting himself up.

Rapunzel bit her lip, weighing her options. Her eyes jumped from her people on the courtyard, injured Quirin, Zhan Tiri and Varian in her hold, Cass by her side, and finally, to her hair, blinking in and out between gold and brown. She was losing time, she knew it.

"Cass, we need to connect the stones." She finally seemed to come to the decision, as much as it pained her. The ex-handmaiden shot her a shocked look.

"Raps, what about Varian?" She questioned, eyeing the barely-conscious alchemist. "We have to get him out."

"I know, but..." Rapunzel trailed off and stared at her blinking hair. "I don't know how much more time we have until this power runs out. I don't want to give up on him either, but as a future Queen, I have to think about all of my subjects."

Cassandra grit her teeth, a memory of their talk back in the Great Tree replaying at the back of her mind.

_"Sometimes I will make decisions you won't agree with, and I need you to be okay with that."_ Rapunzel said back then.

"Okay, Raps." The dark-haired woman nodded her head. She didn't agree with the decision, but she knew better than to argue now.

Everything happened fast after that. Somehow the two of them managed to wrap Rapunzel's hair around both of the demon's wrists. With one well-timed slash, princess cut her hair, forcing the black arms to collide, creating an explosion of light.

When they could finally see, Zhan Tiri and Varian were nowhere to be seen, the only thing remaining was the dual-coloured gem, hovering in the air.

Rapunzel looked at the courtyard, and without a second thought, reached for the stone and released the powerful energy, healing everyone in the radius. With the last strain, she sent the remaining energy heavenwards, the stone disappearing.

Cassandra looked over the battlefield, her stomach clenching, when she saw everyone slowly stand up. Everyone, but one. Varian was nowhere to be seen.

The awful feeling deepened, as she watched Quirin desperately look around for his son. Her heart fell when she noticed the moment he realised, he was truly gone. She didn't even blame the man for lashing out on Rapunzel. It was, after all, her decision that doomed the boy.

After that, she didn't stay in Corona. She couldn't, knowing fully she, too, was responsible for the alchemist demise. She didn't reveal her true reason for leaving to Rapunzel. Let her believe, she wanted to explore the world.

Before she left, she wanted to visit Quirin for the last time. She wanted to apologise. When she arrived to Old Corona, however, all she found was the empty house.

The villagers told her Quirin left with King Edmund and the other Brotherhood members, moved back to the Dark Kingdom. It seemed he, too, couldn't bare to stay so close to the Princess, who killed his son.


	16. That Wasn't Part Of The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another "what if" scenario inspired by wheredomelodiescomefrom art on tumblr (https://whitecatindisguise.tumblr.com/post/622104126771363840/wheredomelodiescomefrom-whitecatindisguise)
> 
> The fight on the Saporian ship doesn't go as planned. Rapunzel is made to walk the plank, while Varian is taken away, Saporians not yet ready to let go of their precious alchemist.

Varian squinted in the hold, trying his best to not look down. His feet dangled in the air, cold wind pulling on his clothes. 

“Traitors to Saporia pay with their lives!” Andrew sneered as his grip on the boy’s shirt started to loosen. 

Varian started to panic. They were hundreds of metres above the ground. The fall would definitely kill him! 

From the corner of his eye he noticed Pascal, still stuck in a bubble, coming at Andrew at the top speed. If the chameleon calculates it right…

Andrew noticed the alchemist’s gaze and followed it, turning at the last possible moment. With a wild grin he stepped back, Pascal hitting the side of the basket and the bubble popping. It laid on the floor, dazed by the hit. 

“Pascal!” Rapunzel cried and Andrew’s grin widened. 

He pulled Varian back in and in one fast movement restricted his hands behind the teen’s back and put a sword to his neck.

“I’d rethink the next course of action, Princess.” He not exactly shouted, but his voice was loud enough for the blonde to hear him. 

Her eyes looked in his direction and she gasped as she took notice of Varian stuck in the man’s hold. She gasped, before a determined frown appeared on her face.

“Let him go, Andrew!” She called, grabbing a lock of her hair, ready to attack. 

“I don’t think you’re in any position to make demands, Princess.” Andrew mocked, pushing the sword closer, breaking the teen’s neck only so slightly. “Now stand down, before the kid gets hurt.”

Rapunzel’s eyes darted back and fro, trying to find an opening. The Saporians surrounded her from all sides, swords pointing at her. Resigned, she sighed and let go of her hair. Andrew smirked at the motion. 

“See? Wasn’t that hard.” He mocked and turned to Maisie. “Prepare the plank.”

“No!” Varian cried but the man pulled on his arms, earning a pained yelp. 

“You stay quiet, kid. I’m not finished with you, yet.” He sneered to his ear. 

Varian trembled, terrified eyes staring at Rapunzel. She tried to smile at him reassuringly but it didn’t help his anxiety. 

Maisie soon came back with a plank and positioned it on the side of the ship, securing it with some ropes. 

“It seems this is your stop, Princess.” Andrew smirked, pointing his head at the plank. “Time to get off.” 

Rapunzel stared at the plank and back at Varian. Tears were collecting in his eyes and he was trembling. The Saporian didn’t like her hesitation and clicked his tongue in annoyance. 

“Get on it, Princess. We don’t have the whole day!” He shouted, pushing the sword against the teen’s throat to make a point. 

Rapunzel gulped and took a first, unsteady step onto the plank. It wobbled a little and she waited a moment until it was steady, before continuing. When she finally reached the end, she turned around and faced the Saporians, Varian struggling in Andrew’s hold. 

“No, please! I’ll come willingly!” He cried, tears falling down his cheeks. “I’ll do whatever you want, just let her go.” 

“Oh, don’t worry, buddy. We’ll let her go alright.” Andrew grinned wildly and nodded at Maisie. 

The man raised his sword and cut the ropes holding the plank. Rapunzel’s eyes widened and she yelped, as the gravity pulled her and the plank off the ship. 

“NO!!” Varian cried, trashing in the hold. “RAPUNZEL!” 

The punch at his cheek made him gasp. He stared with red eyes at the place the woman was standing just moments ago, tears falling down his cheeks. Andrew huffed and pushed him towards Juniper, the woman catching him quickly. 

“Restrain him. And make sure he has no weapons on him.” He said, sheathing his sword and turning away. “We’ve got a long way back to Saporia.”

* * *

Tears have long dried up when the sun began to rise. Varian curled up against the wall of the ship as best as he could, considering his restraints. 

The Saporians took away his alchemy belt and coat, making sure he wasn’t hiding any more of his alchemy balls on him. Then, they tied up his legs and arms, the rope pulling his shoulders close to his chest, constricting any movements. They even used his bandana to gag him and then left to discuss further course of action.

It was clear that they weren’t planning on continuing their attack on Corona. At least not today. But they still had his Quirineon stocked on the ship, waiting to be used. And with Rapunzel gone…

Varian let out a muffled whine as he remembered her green eyes widening in horror as she plunged to death. Not even Rapunzel could survive fall from this height. His heart dropped as he realised it was all his fault. 

If only he didn’t commit treason. If only he didn’t side with Saporians. If only he didn’t invent Quirineon. If only…

He choked on a sob, another wave of tears swelling in his eyes. It was all his fault. From the very beginning, it was only his fault. 

The ship shook lightly and Varian looked up to see they have landed. The Saporians approached him and Andrew crouched in front of the tied-up teen. 

“You really blew a hole in our plan back there, kid.” He said. “But don’t worry, we still have a backup plan.” He reached out and patted the alchemist’s cheek, grinning. “And you are going to help us realise it.”

Andrew stood up and Juniper approached, picking up Varian by the shirt and unceremoniously throwing him over her shoulder. They stepped off the ship into the forest which Varian recognised as the one next to Old Corona. 

“We’ll need to lay low for some time.” He heard Clementine say as they walked further into the trees. “They will never think to look for us here.”

“Yeah, they would rather believe we fled Corona altogether.” Maisie added and Varian heard Andrew hum in agreement. 

They walked for several more minutes, before they finally approached an old hut, hidden between the trees. The Saporians entered and Maisie kneeled down and opened a trapdoor hidden under the dusty carpet. Juniper walked down the ladder and threw Varian off her shoulder, shoving him into the corner of the room.

“Now, be a good boy and sit still, as we go and hide the ship.” Andrew patted his cheek again, before the whole party left the hut. 

He was left in the darkness, the trapdoor locked and carpet put back into place. The restrains were strong, not allowing him any movement. He tried to loosen them back on the ship but Juniper knew her stuff. He was stuck. 

Another sob trembled his body, eyes shutting to stop flowing tears. Rapunzel was gone. Saporians have escaped and he has no way to get away from them. If only Ruddiger was with him, he would bite off the ropes and they would escape together. But Varian didn’t see Ruddiger since he helped the Saporians take over Corona, the raccoon running off one day and not coming back. And, frankly, he didn’t blame him. 

Varian didn’t know how long he stayed in the hut. Suddenly, his ears registered voices. At first, he thought it were the Saporians coming back, but soon the voices grew louder and his eyes widened in shock. 

“Varian!” The familiar female voice called from the outside. It was quiet, probably still some time away from the hut, but he would recognise the voice anywhere. It was Rapunzel!

“Kid! Where are you?” Another voice, Eugene, called out and Varian’s heart skipped a beat. They were here, they were searching for him! If only he could somehow let them know where he was…

The voices grew louder and he heard another voice, Lance, call out for the others. 

“I’ve found something!” The man shouted. Few moments later Varian heard the door to the hut screech open and several pair of feet stepped inside. 

“Huh, it’s empty.” Eugene commented and Varian’s heart dropped. Of course, they didn’t know about the trapdoor. “Guess he’s not here…”

Varian panicked, trying to make any kind of sound, but nothing came out from under his gag. They can’t leave. They can’t go. No one knew where he was. He would die here!

“But still… it’s the only place in short walking distance from the ship.” Rapunzel spoke up in deep thought. “We should at least look around.”

“Um, not trying to sound rude, princess, but there is nothing here.” Lance said. “There is only this one room, and, clearly, it’s empty. And was, for a long time. Look at all this dust.”

“I know, but…” Princess sounded hesitant. Varian held his breath, praying they decide to search the hut anyway. 

“I have to agree with Lance, Blondie. This is not the place.” Eugene said and Varian felt the tears welling up. They were leaving. They weren’t going to search. They weren’t going to find him. They-

“Hey, what the-?” A sudden surprised cry coming from Eugene stopped the alchemist’s train of thoughts. 

He heard another sound, quieter and different from the footsteps. It sounded more like… claws…

“Ruddiger?” Rapunzel called out and Varian felt a tingle of hope again. Ruddiger was here! 

“What is it, little buddy?” Lance asked and the alchemist heard the raccoon ran up to the hidden trapdoor and start clawing at the carpet. “Um… what is he doing?”

“I don’t know…” Rapunzel said and the teen heard her footsteps coming closer to the trapdoor. “He seems to dig through the carpet?”

“Okay, let me see.” Eugene said and there was some more shuffling, what Varian recognised as the carpet being dragged away. There was a gasp out of the three outside and the trapdoor opened. 

Varian saw bare feet coming down the ladder, Rapunzel jumping down the last steps and turning around. The moment she spotted him, up in the corner, she gasped and ran up to him. 

“Varian! Are you alright?” She called out, reaching for his bandana and taking it off. 

He gasped and took few deep breaths, finally able to breath properly. She had already started to work on undoing his binding, Ruddiger jumping down as well and running up to his boy. 

“R-rapunzel. But- how? I saw you fall from the ship! I thought-!” He stumbled, tears falling from his eyes. 

“Unbreakable hair, remember?” She replied with a small smile. The rope on his arms loosened and she quickly undid the one on his legs, before putting him into a hug. “I was afraid we’ve come too late. As soon as I got on the ground, I get on Max and followed the ship. Eugene and Lance saw me pass and they grabbed the horses from my parent’s carriage to follow me. We’ve found the Saporians hiding the ship but you were nowhere to be found and they refused to tell us where you were.”

Varian’s shoulders trembled and he quickly returned the hug, burying himself in her chest. 

“I-I was so afraid.” He cried, tears wetting the princess’ dress. “I thought you were gone. I thought they would make me work for them again. I thought-”

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Rapunzel hugged him tighter. “It’s okay. They won’t hurt you anymore.”

Varian nodded into her chest, Ruddiger climbing up and positioning himself on his shoulders, cooing softly into his ear. 

It was okay. Everything was finally okay. 


	17. Caring For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sprouted by the idea while talking to friends on the group chat.   
> Hugo gets sick and Varian has to take care of the overly-snuggly and feverish teen. NOT VARIGO, brother relationship.

Varian was scrunched over his workbench, pipette in his hand and goggles pulled over his eyes. He pulled out his tongue ever so slightly, squeezing the pipette gently, dripping the purple-coloured liquid into the boiling chemical. He silently counted the drops, carefully measuring the amount. One, two, three-

“Heeeeeey, Goggleees!” Long arms suddenly draped around his shoulders and, startled, Varian squeezed the pipette too hard, resulting with half of the compound pouring into the beaker. 

“Shit-!” The alchemist cursed, grabbing the beaker and trusted it through the open window, squinting at the explosion that occurred soon after. 

He heard Nuru’s shouts from the outside and cringed, knowing he’d have to explain himself later. He sighed and turned his attention to the dead weight at his back, the reason for the whole situation. 

“Hugo, what in the Seven Kingdoms?” He groaned, attempting to push the older teen off from his back. “You know as well as I do interrupting an experiment might result in explosion!” 

“Sooooooo?” Hugo seemed to be either completely oblivious to what just happened or was pulling Varian’s leg, both absolutely plausible, knowing the blonde. 

“Hugo, I’m serious.” The raven-haired teen let out an exasperated sigh and pushed once more, this time managing to get the other off his back. He turned and looked at his friend, raising an eyebrow at the slight flush on his cheeks. “You okay?”

“Neveeeer been beeeetter.” Hugo replied with a slight giggle and swayed a little. 

“Very convincing.” Varian muttered under his breath, pushing the goggles up to rest on the top of his head. 

Hugo swayed some more and the Coronan alchemist quickly ran up to him, grabbing the older teen by the arms and gently setting him on the other chair. He took off one of his gloves and put it on Hugo’s forehead, face scrunching at the heat. 

“You’re burning up.” He commented and pulled the glove back on. “Did you sleep outside again?”

“Buttercuuuuup wanted ooooooout.” Hugo slurred, eyes glassy as he swayed on the chair he was sat at. “Couldn’t leeeeft her alooooone.”

“Of course you couldn’t.” Varian rubbed his nose in annoyance. 

Despite how much Hugo denied it, he had a soft spot for the puppy. He would probably jump in the fire or do something similarly stupid for the little pup. He himself loved Franky and would do anything for the puppy, but there was a difference between taking care of the animal and going crazy at its every demand. 

Blue eyes rested on the swaying teen and Varian sighed tiredly. 

“Okay, let’s get you to your bed.” He said, already draping the blonde’s arm over his shoulder. 

“I don’t neeeeeed sleeeeeeep.” Hugo protested weakly, barely managing to walk properly, the younger teen almost dragging him out of the lab-part of the caravan. “‘Cuppie neeeeeds a waaaaalk.”

“I’ll ask Nuru to do it later. I’m sure she won’t mind.” Varian replied, grunting under the weight. He pushed open the door to the sleeping area and pondered for a moment, staring at the beds.

There were two bunk-beds inside, each belonging to one of the member of their little travelling group. At the beginning, Nuru complained a little about not having separate bedroom, but she got used to it soon, seeing as there really was not much space to create another room. Hugo’s bed was one of the top ones, right above Varian’s. The teen took a side glance at the blonde and shook his head. No way he was pushing him up to his own bed in this state. Even dragging him the distance from lab to the bedroom was tiring in itself. Guess Varian was going to take the top bed this time. 

Making up his mind, he approached his own bed and deposited Hugo on it. The older teen fell down with an ‘ooff’ and Varian massaged his arm and neck, feeling his muscles hurt already. 

“‘Zis not my beeeeed.” Hugo complained, lying flat on the covers, his glasses crooked a little on his nose. 

“Yeah. Unless you can get your butt to the top bunk on your own, you’re sleeping on mine tonight.” Varian replied with a heavy sight. 

“Snuuuuuuggle with meeeeeeee?” Hugo turned his head towards the other alchemist and Varian looked at his with surprise. 

It was the first time Hugo got sick during their travel, and Varian had to admit, it was kind of interesting to see how the teen was acting. He was definitely more snuggly and open than usual. For a short moment Varian entertained the idea of using this situation for blackmail later but he quickly shot it down. They were way past blackmailing each other, sticking to light teasing and banter. 

What the two of them went through, the adventures they had, memories both happy and those both would have rather forgotten… Surprisingly, instead of pushing them apart, they were brought together in a way neither of them would have predicted. Varian would have never imagine he would think of Hugo as his brother. Yet, there they were, feeling closer to each other than they were before. 

A small whine shook Varian out of his thoughts and he remembered the state Hugo was in. Currently, the teen was trying to push himself up, failing miserably. Varian sighed and approached the bed, pushing the teen gently back onto the bed. 

“Stop squirming and rest, idiot.” He huffed, reaching for the blanket and covering the blonde. 

“Noooo. It’s too eaaaaaaarlyyyy.” Hugo complained but Varian was having none of it. 

“You are sick. You need to rest.” He repeated. “I’m going to bring you some tea and fever-lowering medicine. Just lay down, please.”

When Varian came back several minutes later, the blanket was kicked off on the floor and Hugo sprawled in the position that suggested he tried to stand up again. 

“Hugo, when I ask you to lay down, you lay down. And under the blanket.” The younger alchemist sighed, putting the cup of tea and a bottle of medicine on the nightstand, before picking up the blanket. He covered the blonde and helped him sit up, passing him the medicine. 

“Noooooo medicineeeeee.” Hugo whined but took it nevertheless, squinting at the taste. Varian then passed him the tea which the blonde sipped slowly, humming in delight, resting his head on Varian’s shoulder. 

“You are really snuggly when you’re sick.” The younger teen commented with an amused smile. 

“I looooooove you, broooo.” Hugo hummed in response. 

Varian felt his breath stop for a moment. It must have been the first time Hugo said those words out loud. A small smile making its way up his lips. He looked down at Hugo and noticed the teen asleep already, glasses crooked and snoring quietly. 

Gently, as to not wake him up, Varian took the cup with unfinished tea from Hugo’s hands and placed it on the nightstand, doing the same with the blonde’s glasses. Then, he slowly moved away, laying the asleep teen properly on the bed, covering him tightly with the blanket.

He was just about to leave when he felt something grab his hand. He looked down to see Hugo’s hand wrapped in his, the teen’s green eyes slightly open. 

“Staaaaay?” Hugo asked and Varian smiled softly, nodding his head and moving to sit down on the floor, hand still holding Hugo’s.

Satisfied, the older teen closed his eyes with a smile of his own, falling asleep quickly. 

“Love you too, brother.” Varian whispered quietly, a soft hum and snore his only response. 

When Nuru and Yong strolled into the caravan hours later, getting ready for bed, they found them in the same position, Hugo sleeping on the bed, Varian dozing on the floor, back against the wood, their hands still wrapped together. 


	18. Silenced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another What if scenario inspired by @wheredomelodiescomefrom art on tumblr (https://wheredomelodiescomefrom.tumblr.com/post/626158464633372672/silenced-im-back-by-unpopular-demand-xd)
> 
> We all know how The Quest For Varian episode went. Rapunzel got a lantern with a letter from Varian an the key, went to Old Corona, got the graphtyc and the scroll, yadda-yadda...  
> But... what if the masked men caught Varian BEFORE he managed to send the letter. What if he was made to give up the location of the graphtyc?

Varian stared at the graphtyc laying on the workbench. He still didn't know why it was hidden in his father's room, along with the chest full of mysteries.

I mean-

When your father is a farmer, the last thing you expect to find amongst his things is the suit of armour with a peculiar symbol you didn't see before in your life.

So, yeah. Saying Varian's interest was piqued was a huge understatement. Adding to that he didn't have any way to ask his father about that... you probably get the idea.

Anyway... The graphtyc contained a part of the bigger scroll of some sort, seeing how the words and symbols cut off in the middle. Also, it was visibly torn apart. Yeah, that too.

It took him several days, filled with frustration and flying papers when he was stuck on a particularly puzzling phrase, but he finally had the scroll (or at least the part from the graphtyc) translated.

From what he had gathered, the black rocks were the manifestation of some 'great evil', which seemed to emerge after the Sundrop Flower was taken away. The same flower that, according to the scroll, was the only way to get rid of them.

Varian groaned and let his head hit the table in frustration. Ruddiger chittered anxiously from his spot on the side but the boy ignored him.

What if he knew how to take care of the black rocks if he couldn't do anything about it? Even if he knew where the Sundrop Flower was held (because he refused to believe the King simply got rid of the flower with such power; he must have stored it somewhere), there was no way he could just go and get it. Not with those masked men watching his every move and making sure he doesn't leave the village.

He didn't know who they were, but he could bet they were on the King's orders. No one else had any purpose in making his life even more miserable than it already was.

Coming back to the point of the Sundrop Flower... it was probably stored somewhere on the castle grounds. If only there was a way for him to get in unnoticed...

He trailed off as his thoughts moved to a certain long-haired princess with promise issues. Surely with character like hers, enjoying freedom and sneaking out, she must have known about some secret way in and out of the castle.

His eyes wandered to the bottle he fished out of the river not so long ago. It contained several drops of a potion which changed the personality of the unfortunate victim. With some minor adjustment, he should be able to convert it into a truth serum and use it to learn of the Flower's whereabouts. And once he knows that, he could use the Princess to get in and out with no problem. But how to convince her to help him...?

He looked back at the graphtyc and then turned to stare at the enormous monolith, the yellow bits barely visible under the cloth he covered it with. Yeah... he could work with that.

If his calculations were correct, the Princess birthday were approaching, meaning the Coronans would start leaving gifts and cards under the Princess statue. If he could send her the message using the lantern, telling her to come...

Varian worked quickly after that, scribbling a short and desperate-sounding note, securing it with the key to the graphtyc and tying the whole thing to the string attached to a lantern. He, then, took the graphtyc and looked around for a place to hide it.

It couldn't be too obvious, but, at the same time, couldn't be too difficult either. His eyes spotted the Flynn Rider shrine at the back of his lab and he grinned. He approached the spot and picked up one of the books. His heart hurt at what he was just about to do, but it was for a higher cause.

With a heavy heart, he cut out the hole in the middle of the pages and pushed the graphtyc inside. Then, he closed the book and put it exactly in the middle of the shrine. There, that will do it.

With everything ready, he waited until the early night hours and then carefully sneaked out of the house. Ruddiger was anxious at letting him go, but Varian was certain it would be easier for him to do it alone, even if he himself felt a little too anxious.

He creeped through the abandoned village, eyes and ears open for any movements and sounds. Ever since the villagers left, Old Corona felt more eerie at night. Black rocks sprouting all around only added to the creepy atmosphere. Varian repressed a shudder as he continued down the empty streets, the lantern and the message cradled in his arms.

He was almost out of the village, when he felt someone suddenly grab him by the arm and pull him back. He fell to the ground with a startled yelp, the lantern falling out of his hands.

"And where do you think you're going?" A masked man appeared in his corner of vision, towering over the laying boy.

Varian froze up, terror overwhelming his movements. He heard another man shuffle around and, with horror, he noticed him pick up the lantern and unseal the letter.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The man holding the letter approached the boy and he shuffled back, terrified.

"P-please, no!" He cried, already feeling the tears welling in his eyes.

The man reached out and pulled him up roughly. Varian let out a pained yelp and tried to escape the hold, only for the grip to harden.

"Where. Is. The. Graphtyc?" The man seethed, shaking the poor alchemist.

"N-no, please." Varian's voice trembled with fear. They couldn't get the scroll. It was the only way to persuade Rapunzel to help him. And it belonged to DAD.

"It's probably somewhere in his lab." The other man said and the one holding Varian hummed thoughtfully.

"You're right." He nodded and turned his attention back to Varian. "So, here is how it's gonna be, kid. You can either tell us where did you hid the graphtyc, or watch us turn your whole lab upside down to find it."

Varian's eyes widened at the implication and he stared with horror at the man. His mind was already showing him the visions of how the lab would look like if he didn't cooperate. Spilled chemicals, destroyed experiments, unusable instruments...

"P-please..." He begged, eyes filled with tears.

"Where. Is. It?!" The man shook him again and Varian cried both in pain and realisation.

~~~~~~

Varian sobbed quietly, held by under the elbow by one of the masked men. His arms were bound behind his back, a gag tied around his mouth, the taste of material filling him from the inside.

The man who held him had the graphtyc in his hand, the other keeping the lantern and the letter. Varian heard the sounds of wheels and his heart dropped. The prison cart appeared at the entrance to the village, driven by another one of the masked men.

The cart stopped and Varian was roughly pushed inside, stumbling and falling to the wooden floor. The door were locked and he heard the men exchanging some words with the driver, before the cart was moving again.

Varian shuffled towards the corner of the cart and leaned against the wall. He missed Ruddiger already, but didn't regret telling the raccoon to run. He only hoped his only friend was safe and not captured by the men, like he was.

After quite some time, the cart rolled to a stop and the door were opened once again. He was dragged out of the cart and roughly pulled through the dark corridors of the castle, finally finding himself in the deepest part of the dungeons.

One of the guards unlocked the door, while the other unbound his arms and pushed the terrified boy inside, before the door locked again. Varian stumbled to his feet and ran up to the wooden door, pounding on them desperately.

"No! Please! Let me out!" He cried, fist hitting the wood. "I only wanted to help! I only wanted the king to listen!"

"Save your breath, kid." The guard at the other side of the door growled. "No one will hear you here, anyway."

Varian heard the guards laugh and their footsteps started to ebb.

"No! Please! Don't leave me here!" He cried more desperately. He heard the guards ascend the stairs, the door opening and closing, the lock turning.

He cried for several more hours, his voice becoming hoarse, his hands starting to bleed from the pounding on the door. He didn't hear any more sounds than those he made himself.

Finally, worn out by his desperate attempts, he slid to the cold floor and hugged himself, crying over his fate.

Yet, another enemy of the King was silenced.


	19. Little Raccoon Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from QuackyDucky: Human Ruddiger AU with fluff and a speck of angst.  
> While on the walk in the forest, Varian finds a small boy he didn't see before.  
> OR  
> How Varian met the small Ruddiger.   
> TW: blood, injury

Varian was walking through the forest near Old Corona, humming softly. He had a leather satchel draped over his shoulder, already filled with several herbs and flowers which he could use in his alchemy later.

Suddenly, he heard a quiet whimper from the nearby bushes. He stopped, intrigued, and slowly approached the source of the sound. He pushed away the branches and to see what was going on.

To his surprise, and horror, he saw a young boy, probably around 7 years old, lying on the grass and crying. His left leg was stuck in the bear trap villagers put out in the forest to keep the animals from stealing their crops.

Varian's mind froze as he observed the scene, the blood visible on the kid's leg. He gulped down the wave of coming nausea at the sight of blood. No time for that.

He quickly, but carefully emerged from the bushes and approached the crying child. The boy startled at his arrival, and tried to shuffle away, resulting in the trap burying itself deeper into the leg. The boy cried out in pain.

"Shhh, hey. It's alright." Varian raised his hands in the air to show they were empty. "I'm not going to hurt you. I only want to help."

The boy ceased his crying, but was still watching Varian with wide, terrified eyes. Varian slowly came closer and kneeled next to the boy, suppressing another wave of nausea.

"O-okay. I'm going to open the trap now and get our your leg." He said and looked up at the kid.

The boy was silent and eyed Varian fearfully. His grey eyes slowly moved to the trap and back to the young teen. Finally he seemed to understand and slowly nodded his head. Varian took a deep breath and grabbed the sides of the trap.

"This is going to hurt, but I'll try to be as gentle as possible." He warned and gave the boy a reassuring smile.

The kid let out another cry of pain when the trap opened, and Varian worked fast to move it away, before releasing his hold, the sharp metal smacking shut the moment he did so.

The child's leg didn't look so good. The metal went in deep and the wound was bleeding heavily. Varian's vision swum for a moment, but he shook his head and untied his apron, securing it tightly around the injury.

"This needs to be cleaned and bandaged properly." He said more to himself than to the kid. He eyed the terrified boy and weighed his options. He could take him to the medic, but he knew for a fact the man was absent right now, taking a trip to the capital in need of some medicines. Or, he could take the boy back home with him, which was actually closer than the clinic, and had some of his own medicines which would be able to help.

Making up his mind, Varian stood up and held up a hand to the kid. The grey eyes stared at him perplexed, the boy cocking his head in puzzlement.

"Come on, I'll take you home. We can take care of your leg there." The alchemist said and smiled in a way that, hopefully, would calm the kid down enough to trust him.

The small boy seemed to think for a few moments, before he reluctantly grabbed the held-out hand. Varian gently helped him stand up. The boy suddenly hissed in pain and fell back down, when he unconsciously put the weight on the injured leg. The grey eyes welled with tears and Varian took only a moment to assess situation and decide on the next course of action.

Slowly and calmly explaining what he was doing, he picked up the kid to secure him safely on his back and made his way home. He could feel the boy stiffen when they entered the village, but also look around in, what seemed like, curiosity.

Dad was working on the pumpkin patch in front of the house when they arrived. He looked up to his son and his brows furrowed in the unrecognizable expression at the sight of the boy on Varian's back.

"Found him in the forest. His leg got stuck in one of the bear traps." Varian quickly explained. "Dr. Therry is in the capital today, so-"

Dad's eyes landed on the kid's leg, blood starting to seep through the apron and he nodded quickly. They entered the house and dad motioned for Varian to set the boy on the kitchen table, while he left to bring bandages and water to clean the wound.

When the large man came back, the kid seemed to tense, eyes wide in fear. He started to tremble and unconsciously hid behind Varian, hands gripping the teen's shirt.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just dad." The alchemist tried to calm the boy down with a reassuring smile. "He might look scare but he won't hurt you."

After some more cooing, the kid finally let dad approach and unwrap the wounded leg. The father and son duo worked together at cleaning and treating to the injury, Varian leaving only for a moment to bring some ointment of his own design which helped in healing wounds faster.

When he came back from his lab, the boy almost jump down from the table to hug him, if not stopped by dad.

"He seems to feel comfortable around you." Quirin commented as Varian spread the medicine over the wound and let his dad bandage the leg. "He tensed up the moment you left his sight."

"I wonder how did he even got in the forest. I've never seen him around the village." Varian pondered as the kid once again reached for his sleeve and grabbed to it.

"Neither have I." Dad nodded and looked up at the kid, who shrunk a little under the man's gaze. "He's also strangely quiet."

"Didn't say a word since I found him." The alchemist confirmed. Dad finished wrapping the bandage and smiled gently.

"All done, little one. Luckily the trap didn't break any bones or muscles, so it should heal in a week or so." He brushed the boy's head in a friendly manner.

The kid tensed at the touch at first, but quickly noticed it didn't mean any harm, so he eagerly leaned to the touch. Varian smiled at the boy and helped him down, the kid quickly wrapping him in a hug once he was standing on the floor.

"Oofff, you need a bath, kid." The alchemist scrunched his nose. "You smell like you haven't washed for MONTHS."

"I'll get the water ready." Quirin chuckled and Varian nodded in appreciation.

"Come on, let's see if any of my old clothes will fit you. Yours need a proper washing too." The teen untangled the boy from around his waist and took his hand instead, leading the boy upstairs.

By the time dad came back, saying the bath was ready, they managed to find some grey shirt, black trousers and a pair of shoes which were almost the kid's size. The shoes were a little too big, and the shirt needed a belt around the waist, but the could work with that until his own clothes were clean.

Varian helped the kid undress and wash, the boy very interested in bubbles that filled the tub. He didn't seem to mind Varian scrubbing away the dirt from his back, humming in delight the whole time.

"Say... do you have a name?" Varian asked as he helped the kid dry with a towel. Grey eyes looked up at him, the head cocked to the side in puzzlement. "A name. Like... I'm Varian." The teen pointed at himself and then at the boy. "And you?"

The kid blinked and then grinned cheerfully, but not saying anything. Varian sighed. Great, he was probably mute.

"Okay then, but I can't keep calling you _kid_ . Do you want me to choose one for you?" He asked and the boy thought for a moment before nodding fervently. "Okay... how about... Damien?" The boy scrunched his nose in disgust and shook his head. "No? Then... Thomas?" Another shake. "Nate? Brian?" Two shakes again. "Flynn?" Varian asked hopefully. The kid seemed to think for a moment but shook his head again.

Varian sighed as he watched the boy put on the trousers and the shirt, wondering how easy it was for parents to choose the name for their children. They didn't have choice in the matter. If your parents decided you'll be called Glenn or Stanley, then that's what you were stuck with for your whole life. But choosing a name for a 7-year-old kid?

"Ruddiger?" He tried again, remembering the name of the dog they used to have when he was younger. It died of old age few years ago, but Varian still kinda missed him.

The boy stopped at his attempt to put on a shoe and looked up at Varian, eyes glistening. He nodded once, twice, so many times the alchemist thought for a moment his head is going to fall off.

"Great! Ruddiger it is!" He confirmed with a small chuckle.

"Boys! The dinner is ready!" They heard dad's voice from the kitchen. Varian grabbed the kid's hand and led him downstairs.

Little did any of them know, this was the day little Ruddiger came into their lives and was there to stay.


	20. Vocalised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I don't usually do sequels to oneshots, because that's what they are: oneshots. But Silenced really asked for one, so here it is.   
> After the black rocks finally reach Rapunzel, she decides to journey to where they are guiding her. But before that, she remembers a friend she didn't see for months and sets out to find him. Meanwhile, Eugene and Lance discover something terrifying in the castle dungeons.

Rapunzel let out a deep sigh as she looked out of the balcony. The black rocks were everywhere, piercing through the buildings. The rebuilding of the capital will take some time, but right now, they could do nothing but wait for the rocks to disappear. At least, they weren’t growing anymore.

Princess closed her eyes, remembering the events from yesterday. The black rocks entered the capital, destroying homes and shops, moving straight towards the castle. Her father told her to run, but she refused, wanting nothing more but to help her subjects. By the time they finally noticed what, or rather who the rocks were after, it was too late. She was locked in the rock prison, surrounded from all sides.

Then, something unthinkable happened. When Rapunzel touched one of the rocks, they reacted in an explosion of blinding light and deafening sound. Once they were finally able to see, the rocks, at least most of them, reverted to the ground, creating a path towards the Corona’s Wall. 

Her father explained everything to her that day. How he was aware of the black rocks from the very beginning. How taking the Sundrop Flower summoned them to Corona. And how he never told her about it, because he knew exactly who they were targeting. 

They argued, she cried and shouted, not understanding why he would hide something so important from her. He tried to explain, cover behind his will to protect her. Rapunzel was glad her mother took side with her. She, too, didn’t approve of his actions. To put the whole kingdom at risk for the sake of protecting his daughter. Daughter, who was perfectly able to do so on her own. 

Rapunzel decided to follow the black rocks. She stated it as a fact, rather than asking for permission. She knew it was what she was meant to do. It was her destiny. And her father had to accept that. They agreed she would leave in a week, taking Cass, Eugene and Lance with her. 

Green eyes opened and, once again, gazed at the demolished landscape. Is this how Old Corona looked like? Was it the view Varian would see every day from his bedroom window? 

Her train of thoughts stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened in realisation and shock.

“Varian-!” She whispered, only now remembering the desperate plea all those months ago, on the day of the snow storm. How could she just forget about him? How could she not go and check on him once everything was resolved?

Rapunzel turned on her heel and ran out of her room, her braid flying behind her. She had to find Cass and Maximus. They needed to go to Old Corona!

~~~~~~

Eugene walked the cold corridors, a small shudder going up his spine. He never liked the dungeons. But he was here on a job, and he was determined to see it towards the end. 

After the black rocks attacked the castle, many of the rooms were destroyed and demolished. There were several casualties, but luckily, no dead. Many of the castle workers were sent to assess the size of damage. 

Eugene, along with Lance, volunteered to help the Royal Guard check the dungeons, making sure none of the prisoners escaped, as well as provide medical attention to those who needed it. So, there they were, travelling the dark corridors he never thought he would enter willingly. 

So far they didn’t find any major issues, only several cracked walls and some of the prisoners needing replacing. The two friends turned the corner and noticed one of the bigger rocks destroyed the door to the lower level completely. 

“Woah, this one doesn’t like doors.” Lance commented with a chuckle. Eugene smiled and rolled his eyes, bumping his adoptive brother’s shoulder. 

“Come on, let’s see what’s going on in there.” He said and the two carefully jumped over the rock and descended the stairs. 

This level was anything like the ones they’ve been through before. For one, it was extremely dark, a single torch slowly burning on the wall. Second of all, the cells there didn’t have bars, but rather sturdy wooden doors. 

“Looks creepy, if you ask me.” Lance said, shuddering a little at the eerie atmosphere. 

“Let’s check it out quickly and get out of here.” Eugene agreed and the two spread out to cover both sides of the corridor. 

Each room they checked was empty, and the brown-haired man was certain they would find nothing, when suddenly Lance took a sharp inhale. 

“Eugene, come here and tell me you’re not seeing what I’m seeing.” The large dark-skinned man said. 

Eugene raised an eyebrow at the statement and approached the door, taking the torch with him to get more light. He leaned over and peeked through the small window into the cell. At first he didn’t see anything, but then something moved in the corner of the room and Eugene felt his breath stop. 

“Oh my god!” He exclaimed in shock and horror, brown eyes staring at the small figure curled by the opposite wall. The light from the torch bounced off the cell walls and Eugene gasped when it illuminated the odd-coloured stripe on the prisoner’s hair. “It’s Varian!”

~~~~~~

Rapunzel stared in shock at the sight before her. Old Corona was even worse than the capital. There was no single building that was spared from the black rocks. The dark spires pierced the walls and roofs, rising tall above the houses. Worst of all, it seemed abandoned.

“This doesn’t look good, Raps.” Cassandra commented, jumping down to the ground and helping the princess off the horse. 

“I- I didn’t know it was  **that** bad.” Rapunzel admitted, looking around in horror. “Cass, we have to find Varian.”

“Raps, I don’t think-” The handmaiden was trying to argue but the blond-haired woman was already rushing towards the alchemist’s house. 

She knocked several times, bouncing impatiently on her heels, as she waited for the answer. When none came, she hesitated for a moment, before pushing the door open and entering the silent house. 

“Varian? Are you there?” She called out, taking careful steps around. 

“That’s trespassing.” Cassandra hissed, following after the princess. “And the house is clearly abandoned for a long time. Look at all of this dust.”

“Cass, I let him be thrown away into the snowstorm.  **And** didn’t check on him for  **months** !” Rapunzel argued, moving towards the stairs she knew led to the boy’s lab. “I have to make sure he’s okay.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, Raps.” The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes as they descended to the basement. “The whole village probably moved somewhere else, seeing as nobody is here.”

Princess didn’t listen, as she pushed open the door to the lab. Just like the rest of the house, it was abandoned. What piqued their interest, however, was the enormous structure covered in tarp, taking up most of the room’s space. Curiosity taking over, Rapunzel approached it and in one movement pulled the cloth down. 

Both of them gasped in shock at the sight. The structure turned out to be a monolith amber with a person stuck inside it.

“Quirin…” Rapunzel whispered in horror, turning to her friend. “Cass, that’s- that’s Varian’s father!” 

“This doesn’t look good.” Cassandra repeated what she said back when they entered the village. But this time, the words had deeper meaning. If Varian’s father was inside the amber… then where was the alchemist?

A chitter from under the workbench startled both women. They turned abruptly and noticed Ruddiger, looking up at them. He seemed to search for something (or someone, as Rapunzel realised), and not finding what he hoped for, he lowered his ears and let out a saddened wail. 

“Oh, Ruddiger!” Rapunzel cried, kneeling down and picked up the raccoon, the animal not even protesting at the gesture. “Cass, if Ruddiger is here alone…”

“Then something must have happened to Varian.” The handmaiden nodded in understanding. 

~~~~~~

When both women came back to the castle with Ruddiger (not before checking the whole house and the village in the search of the alchemist), they were immediately met with Eugene and Lance waiting in the courtyard, both looking nervous and somewhat terrified. 

“Blondie, I’m so glad you’re back-” Eugene started but Rapunzel cut him off, jumping down from Max’s back and running up to her boyfriend. 

“Eugene! This is awful!” She cried, grabbing his shoulders. “Old Corona is completely destroyed, the villagers left, Varian’s dad is encased in amber in his lab and we can’t find him anywhere! We only found Ruddiger, and we all know, Varian doesn’t go  **anywhere** without Ruddiger! Something bad must have happened to him. I just know it!” 

“Hey, hey. Sunshine. Deep breaths.” Eugene reached for her hands and took them off his shoulders, grabbing them between his. “This is actually something we wanted to talk to you about-”

“How can I be calm, Eugene?! He came to me for help and I not only refused it, but left him alone for  **months** ! And now we can’t find him anywhere and I’m  **sure** something must have happened to him!” 

“Rapunzel, if you would just listen-.” The man tried again but was cut off by another wave of terrified thoughts.

“We searched the whole village. And his house. And even part of the forest. He is gone, Eugene! And I’m scared! So, so scared because I don’t know where he is and-” Rapunzel went on when suddenly it was Lance who cut her in. 

“He’s in the dungeons!” The dark-skinned man squeaked anxiously, and suddenly the Princess went silent. She stared at Lance and then back at Eugene.

“Is… Is this true?” She asked, her eyes pleading. Please, say it’s not true. Please, say it’s not true. 

Eugene sighed and looked down in sadness.

“I’m sorry, Sunshine, but Lance is right.” He said, looking up and into his girlfriend’s emerald eyes. “We’ve found him while checking the dungeons for damage after…” He waved his hand towards the black rocks. “He’s been locked on the deepest level, behind a sturdy wooden door. No light, no sound, small room.”

“Solitary confinement.” Cassandra muttered and Eugene nodded. That sounded just right.

“I- Rapunzel, I tried asking the Captain for the key. But he said…” He hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing. “He said it was an order from the King.” 

“N-no. That’s impossible. Dad would never-” Rapunzel tried to argue, eyes wide in shock.

“Raps, solitary confinement is something only the King can approve of.” Cassandra spoke up.

“And, not that I like speaking bad about you dad, but… it doesn’t sound so unrealistic, knowing what else he did to protect you from those rocks.” Eugene added. 

“How does imprisoning Varian agree with protecting me from the rocks?!” Princess shouted and the man took a small step back. 

“I- I don’t know, but the kid  **was** researching those rocks.” Eugene reminded, trying to sound calm. “Maybe he learned something that your dad didn’t like and.. you know… he took precautions?”

Rapunzel furrowed her brows, anger visible on her face. 

“It seems me and dad need another talk about secrets.” She said with determination, stomping away and marching towards the castle. 

~~~~~~

Varian hugged his knees closer to his chest. It was cold. His whole body was trembling, and he pulled himself closer, hoping to keep some of the body warmth. 

He didn’t know what was going on. Several hours ago (at least he thought it was hours. He lost the track of time short after he was locked in, having nothing to help him calculate it) the whole castle shook tremendously, there were some crashing noises and screams. And then, everything fell into silence again.

Some more time passed and he heard people again, walking around the higher levels and talking silently. At some point he almost thought he heard someone enter the level he was in, people talking and someone saying his name. But when he looked up, he didn’t see anything and everything was silent again, so he decided he must have imagined it. 

He sighed and let his head drop onto his knees. His stomach had long since stopped rumbling, the feeling of emptiness already gone. His food didn’t come for few days now, he deduced. They must have decided to starve him now. He didn’t really see a point anymore. It’s not like he could do anything, stuck in this cell. 

Suddenly, he heard more voices, footsteps coming down the stairs, keys jingling. His heart stopped, thinking what it could possibly mean. Were they moving him somewhere else? It wasn’t food, there was a hatch at the bottom of the door for that, no need for keys. Or maybe the king finally decided on his fate (which probably didn’t mean anything good, seeing his treatment until now)? 

The footsteps stopped in front of his door and he heard the key being pushed into the lock and turned. He froze completely, trying his best to hide in the deepest corner of the cell. The door opened with a deafening creak, showing how much time has passed since they were opened last time. 

Several figures stood in the doorway and Varian pulled his legs closer, making himself as small as it was possible. 

“Varian…?” A cautious voice called, the one he knew but didn’t hear for a long time. But it wasn’t possible? Why would  **she** be here? She had no reason to-

The figure who spoke took one tentative step inside and Varian sucked in his breath, body completely frozen. 

“Varian… it’s me. Rapunzel.” The figure, Rapunzel said, taking one more step forward. He stared at her with eyes wide open. It wasn’t possible. It wasn’t-

“Why…?” He somehow managed to crack out, his voice raspy from all the months of silence. She stopped and kneeled down, only few steps in front of him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” She whispered and he could see tears in her eyes. She was crying. Why was she crying? “I thought- I thought you were in Old Corona. That whatever happened during the snowstorm… that you didn’t come back before everything was fine.”

He stared at her, not sure how to respond. She had to be lying. But then, why would she? It was, after all, the king who ordered those masked men to hunt him, to treat him like a criminal, to, finally, lock him in this cell. 

“I… Varian. I saw your dad.” Rapunzel continued and his eyes widened. Dad. He was still trapped. He had to save him. The Sundrop Flower. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I know I promised to help you, and I will.”

He looked up at her expectantly and she took it as a cue to continue.

“The black rocks… they were after me. They entered the capital yesterday, looking for me.” She said and Varian blinked. That explained the sounds he heard earlier. “They… when I touched them, they created a path. They are leading me somewhere. And I know, wherever that is, will help me find the way to get rid of them. And, I believe we can also find a way to free your father.”

“Why are you… telling me this?” His voice was still quiet and raspy. 

“Because I want you to go with me, with us.” Rapunzel smiled. “I can’t make up for what my father did to you, Varian. But I can help you make better memories. And, we could probably use your skills and knowledge, wherever the rocks are taking us.” She extended a hand in his direction and smiled some more. “What do you say?”

Varian pondered about the thought before nodding and taking her hand. Her smile grew wider and she helped him to his feet, stabilising him as he wobbled. A ball of grey fur ran up to him and up his frame, to finally set on his shoulders.

“Hey bud, missed you.” He whispered, a small smile on his face. Rapunzel led him out and Eugene put a reassuring hand on the teen’s shoulder. 

“Let’s get you looked up, okay kid?” He said with a smile. “You look like death itself.” 

“Okay.” Varian nodded and let himself be guided out of the dungeons and into the sunlit corridors of the castle. 


	21. An Unwilling Accomplice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by yet another wheredomelodiescomefrom picture. 
> 
> Varian is put in the cell with the Stabbingtons instead of Andrew. The three team up to escape the prison together. But when things calm down and Varian wants to go back to Old Corona and free his father, the redhead brothers aren't so willing to let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can see the inspiring picture here:   
> https://wheredomelodiescomefrom.tumblr.com/post/626895464298676224/an-unwilling-accomplice-im-not-100-sure-if-i

“Okay, when the guards come, I’ll distract them and you two grab the keys.” Varian repeated for the uptenth time. 

“And why shouldn’t  **we** distract the guards while  **you** get the keys?” One of his inmates asked and Varian groaned inwardly. 

“Because you two can’t hold a conversation without looking suspicious, Sideburns.” He replied, annoyance seeping through his teeth. “While  **I** was able to convince the Princess, stealing the Sundrop Flower is the best course of action.”

Two redheads exchanged glances, still not entirely convinced. Varian sighed. They were so close to escaping, he can’t let those two idiots ruin it. 

“Besides, you have more experience in  **stealing** than I do.” He tried a different approach and that seemed to do the trick. The brothers looked at each other and finally nodded. 

Just in time, as soon they heard the rustling of armour and the guard appeared in their view. Varian smirked as he noticed it was the same guard that took truth-serum cookies from him and gave it to the whole castle stuff. This is going to be easier than anticipated. 

“This is going to backfire bad, kid.” He heard a voice of another prisoner and he growled. 

“Shut up, Andrew.” The alchemist hissed and nodded at the Stabbington brothers, before turning to the guard who was just passing by their cell. “Hey there. Pete, wasn’t it?”

The guard stopped and looked at him surprised and somewhat cautious. 

“Um… you need something, Varian?” Pete asked and Varian smiled as innocent as he could. 

“Only talk. You can’t really have a proper conversation with  **these guys** .” He nodded his head at his inmates. “You, on the other hand, struck me as intelligent.”

“You really think so?” The man beamed at the compliment and Varian refrained from smirking. This was just too easy. 

“Of course! Trust me, I know a genius mind when I see one.” The alchemist flashed him a genuine-looking smile, eyeing his inmates cautiously. 

Pete started rambling something that probably was supposed to be smart. Varian only half-listened to the guard, making sure to nod and comment at right times to not raise suspicion. Finally, he saw Patchy closing his hand around the key ring and gently tugging it off, hiding it in his pocket. 

“Well, it’s nice to hold a properly intelligent conversation once in a while, but I don’t want you to get in trouble for talking to me.” Varian cut off Pete’s rambling, trying to sound genuinely concerned. 

“Oh, you’re right. I’m still on duty.” The guard laughed and Varian suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. The guy was an idiot. “Well, see you around, Varian.” 

The man waved his hand and strolled away, not noticing the lack of keys at his belt. Varian sighed and rubbed his temples. Good he only paid half attention to his rambling. He turned to the Stabbingtons and smirked. 

“So… tonight?” He asked and they laughed and nodded. 

~~~~~~

After that it was fairly easy. They waited until the night watch passed their cell, knowing well it won’t be for another hour that someone finds their cell empty. By that time they would be away from the castle, free as birds. 

Andrew, of course, kept trying to persuade Varian from trusting the redheads but the alchemist shook him off. He was getting out tonight, and he needed the men, if they met any guards on their way out. Besides, they worked on the plan together, so it only seemed fair they escaped together too. Not that he was planning to stay with them for the whole time. He still had to free his dad and he knew brute force won’t help him in the slightest. 

They somehow managed to get out of dungeons and the castle without raising the alarm. Varian led the brothers through the hidden tunnels and soon they were outside city limits, looking for a place to hide for a few days. They found an abandoned cabin in the forest, perfect for laying low. It was close to the river and there were berry bushes growing all around, so they didn’t have to worry about food or water. 

Finally, after a week, Varian deemed it safe to leave the cabin. He was eager to go back to Old Corona, wanting nothing more than free his father. So he brought it up with the Stabbingtons when they came back from gathering food and water. 

“Actually, we’ve been thinking…” Patchy started and looked at his brother, both exchanging evil grins. “We’ve heard a lot about you and your inventions. And we still didn’t set the score with Flynn Rider.”

Varian raised his brow in confusion and crossed his arms.

“Well, that’s between you and him.” He said and started to walk towards the door. “I’m going back to Old Corona.”

“I think you misunderstood, brat.” Burnsie stepped in front of the boy and smirked. “ **You** are going to help us get our revenge.”

“Yes.. Rider will soon be dead.” Patchy added and laughed. Varian’s eyes widened and he took a step back.

“What? No!” He argued, eyes filling with terror. 

“Huh, I didn’t think you and Rider were friends.” Burnsie said and the boy shook his head. 

“We’re not, but murder-? I-I won’t help you!” He shouted in defiance. The brothers laughed as they stalked closer to the terrified boy. 

“Oh… you will help us, brat. Whether you want it or not.” Patchy laughed maliciously.

~~~~~~

It’s been another several days with the Stabbingtons planning their revenge. Varian squirmed in his binds, a gag over his mouth. He didn’t want to help them, not in murdering anyone. Sure, he and Flynn (Eugene, he had to remind himself) weren’t exactly friends but murder? He would never willingly kill anyone. 

Even during his last encounter with Rapu- the Princess, when he held Cassandra and the Queen in automaton’s grip, he didn’t actually plan on  **killing** them. He only wanted to scare the Princess, to make her finally listen to him. 

“... and then you’ll help us kill Rider, won’t you brat?” He heard Patchy say and his head shot up. They were looking at him expectantly, these terrifying grins on their faces. 

Varian whined disapprovingly and shook his head fiercely. Burnsie smiled evilly and approached the defiant boy.

“No? Are you sure?” He teased, grabbing a fistful of the boy’s dark hair, pulling him up. “I suggest you reconsider.” He hissed into the alchemist’s ear.

The young prisoner whimpered and shut his eyes. Why did he think it was a good idea to team up with these men? His mind reminded him of Andrew’s warnings. Turns out the other man was right in the end. 

Burnsie let go of Varian’s hair and he slumped back to the floor, hitting his arm painfully. He whined in pain, trying not to cry. He was tired, his stomach empty and throat dry. The brothers were trying to break him by denying him sleep and food, only giving him enough water to not die. 

The Stabbingtons were discussing something again and promptly left the cabin, probably to gather some food or supplies for whatever plan they had. Varian didn’t even have strength to push himself up, so he just laid down on the wooden floor, vision blurry. 

Just then, he heard some shouts outside and a clash of metal. His heart skipped a beat. Did the guards find them? Were they going back to the prison? He didn’t want to be back behind the bars, but at this point, anything was better than his current situation. 

The fight continued for a little while, and then everything went quiet. Varian waited in anticipation, not knowing who won. He prayed it wasn’t the Stabbingtons, that whoever they were fighting with was able to overpower them. Then, the door creaked open. 

“I really wanna say  _ I told you so _ right now, buddy.” A familiar voice said and Varian looked up shocked at Andrew making his way towards the bounded alchemist. 

He quickly cut the ropes tying the boy’s arms and legs and helped him take off the gag, the alchemist finally able to breathe properly. 

“A-andrew.” He said surprised. “What..? But how? Why?”

“My friends from Saporia broke me out soon after your escape.” The man explained, helping the boy up. “With the guards already looking for you three, it was quite easy. Our hideout is actually quite close by, so when one day we heard those brutes talk about  _ making the brat cooperate _ I knew exactly who they were talking about.”

Varian nodded lightly, and smiled a little. 

“I… Thank you for saving me.” He said, looking up at the Saporian. He smiled back and ruffled his hair. 

“Hey, anytime, buddy. I kinda like you, so what do you say you stick with us from now on?” He suggested. “We could use your expertise in taking over the kingdom. But, only if you want, of course.”

Varian mulled on the idea. On one hand, he really wanted to get back to studying amber and freeing his dad. On the other, however, Andrew  **did** help him out, so he owed him. 

“Okay.” He finally agreed. “But I want freedom to work on my own project too.”

“No problem, buddy.” Andrew grinned and led him outside to meet other Saporians. “Now, let me tell you about our plan…”


	22. Imprisoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A request from tumblr. 
> 
> An AU where Hugo and Varian are childhood friends and, instead of Quirin, it's Varian who gets stuck in amber.

“Hairstripe, please.” Hugo was growing desperate.

Ever since he came back from the Expo, saying the Princess tasked him with figuring out those black rocks, the younger alchemist was focused solely on that. He was neglecting sleep, forgetting to eat and drink. If it wasn’t for both Hugo and Ruddiger’s efforts, he would cease to do it completely, working himself to death.

“No, Hugo. I am so close to figuring it out, I know it!” Varian argued, mixing yet another chemical in the beaker.

“I want to get rid of those rocks as much as you do, but this is getting ridiculous!” Hugo tried to reason, throwing his hands out. “You’re going to get sick at this point. And wasn’t it you who told me to get some rest if I can’t figure something out?”

“Hugh, the Princess asked me **specifically** to find a way to destroy those black rocks.” Varian replied, placing the beaker over the fire and watching it boil. “And I just **know** this one will get some kind of reaction.”

Hugo sighed in resignation. He knew Varian ever since they were kids. He was so stubborn there was no way to persuade him if he got an idea. He leaned over one of the rocks and looked at his childhood friend.

“Just promise you’ll get some rest afterwards.” He asked and Varian hummed in response.

The younger alchemist turned around, beaker in his hand, and approached the cluster of rocks that, conveniently, sprouted in his lab. All the easier to experiment on them without going outside.

“Okay, are you ready?” The raven-haired teen asked and Hugo chuckled at how excited he sounded. He motioned for his friend to continue and they both stared as Varian carefully tipped the beaker, pouring a single drop onto the cluster.

Suddenly the whole building shook and, startled, Varian poured almost half of the compound on the rocks.

“What was that?!” Hugo cried, trying to stabilise himself. The younger alchemist ran to the window and looked outside.

“Uh, another rocks just sprouted. It looks like they destroyed Mrs. Galway’s barn.” He explained before turning around, his face suddenly paling. “Hugo, watch out!”

Before the blond could react, Varian barrelled into him and he was sent flying, away from the black rocks. He groaned, as his back hit the workbench and massaged the hurt spot.

“Hairstripe, what in the-!” Words died in his throat at the sight before him.

From the black rock cluster he was leaning on just moments ago, gold substance, seemingly reminding of amber was growing. What was even more terrifying, Varian’s arm was stuck in it, the boy struggling restlessly to free himself.

“Varian!” He cried and rushed to his friend, only to be stopped by his warning shouts.

“Don’t come closer! We’ll both get stuck!” Varian cried, tugging on his arm but to no avail. Hugo’s eyes were darting between the growing amber and the workbench.

“Wha- How- I... I’m gonna get Quirin!” The teen suddenly decided and bolted out of the lab, not paying attention to Varian’s shouts to leave his dad out of it.

He shot out of the main door and looked around frantically. Quirin was nowhere to be seen so he ran towards the main square, hoping to find the man there. He spotted him almost instantly, talking to one of the villagers.

“QUIRIN!!” He shouted, running up to the man, who turned to him in puzzlement.

“Hugo? What’s going on?” He asked, noticing the hurry the teen was in. “Did something happen?”

“Varian! He’s- You have to go with me!” Hugo tried explaining, desperation in his voice.

Quirin didn’t question, noticing the way the blond was acting. He just hoped his son wasn’t too much hurt. The boy was a trouble magnet.

They ran back to the house and down the stairs to the lab.

“Quickly, maybe we still can-!” Hugo pushed the door open and froze, staring at the sight in the middle of the room.

“Hugo, what’s going- VARIAN!” Quirin pushed the teen away and ran inside, arms reaching forward.

The black rocks cluster was no more. In its place rose a gold amber structure, rising to the roof. And inside, smiling calmly, was Varian.

Hugo stood frozen, staring at the golden prison. Why? Why? Why? Why didn’t Varian listen to him? Why did he have to use the whole beaker, when he could use a pipette? Why couldn’t Hugo get to him faster? **Why was Varian smiling???**

He was half-aware of Quirin punching at the amber, screaming Varian’s name, desperately trying to free his son. He numbly watched as the man grabbed one tool after another, all of them breaking on the structure, not leaving even a single scratch on the surface. If only the Princess didn’t ask him-

The Princess! The Princess was connected to the rocks. The Princess always had a way to fix things! The Princess **has to** free Varian!

Without a second though, Hugo turned on his heel and bolted out of the door, only stopping to grab his winter coat before running outside. He had to get to the castle! He had to get Rapunzel come back with him! She had to help them!

The road was hard, with snowstorm coming and becoming more fierce as the time passed. But Hugo didn’t stop, didn’t waver. Varian’s life depended on him getting to the castle and getting Rapunzel. He couldn’t back down. Not now!

Breathing heavily, he finally managed to get to the capital and ran up to the castle door. He threw them open, running and crying for Rapunzel. The guards ran after him but he didn’t mind them. He had to find Rapunzel.

He saw her exit one of the rooms, dressed in pink snow coat. He ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders fiercely.

“Rapunzel! You have to go with me! Varian- He’s- I need your help!” He cried, the woman looking up at him with a mixture of confusion and fear.

“Hugo, I...” She looked back into the room she walked out of for a moment before looking back at him. “I can’t go with you now. I’m sorry.”

“No, no! You don’t understand!” He cried desperately. “I can’t lose him! Why don’t you get that I **CAN’T LOSE HIM!!** I know you can fix this!!”

“Hugo, I’m sorry, but-” She tried again and then he felt the guards grabbing him by the arms and drag him away.

“No, Rapunzel! You have to go with me! You have to fix this! I can’t lose him!” He shouted as the guards pulled him away and through the door, closing them shut as soon as he found himself outside. He ran back up and pounded on the door, shouting and crying for Rapunzel.

He didn’t know how long he stayed there, shouting and crying. He didn’t remember the way back home. He remembered, however, finding Quirin crying under his son’s amber prison. He remembered Ruddiger’s pained whining as he clawed at the cluster.

And most vividly, he remembered whose fault it was in the first place. He clenched his fist in anger, tears falling from his eyes. She will pay for turning her backs on them. She will pay for ever asking Varian to study those rocks. And most of all, she will pay for hurting his brother!


	23. Resurrecting Demanitus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wohooo! Another oneshot inspired by @wheredomelodiescomefrom art on tumblr (https://wheredomelodiescomefrom.tumblr.com/post/627626917674221568/would-you-look-at-the-time-its-resurrecting)
> 
> Zhan Tiri decides to resurrect Demanitus with the use of both Sundrop and Moonstone. But to do that, she needs a perfect vessel. Luckily (or unluckily), she finds one just right waiting in the throne room.

“Mine! They are finally mine!” Zhan Tiri laughed as she held both Sundrop and the Moonstone in her hands. 

“No!” Rapunzel cried, running towards the demoness. Zhan Tiri side-stepped and the princess missed her, barreling into Cassandra, both women landing on the floor. 

“With these I can finally resurrect Demanitus. And he will be completely under my control!” The demon laughed menacingly as her gaze moved towards the corridor. “And it turns out I have a perfect vessel right in this castle.” 

She laughed one last time before disappearing. Rapunzel and Cassandra pushed themselves up, both struggling to stand straight. 

“What’s… what’s going on?” Cassandra questioned, leaning over the wall for support, the princess doing the same. 

“It seems taking the stones forcefully has weakened us.” Rapunzel replied, gritting her teeth and pushing herself to stand properly. She wobbled a little but managed to not fall. “We have to go after Zhan Tiri.”

“We don’t even know where she is.” Cassandra pointed out, managing to stand straight too. 

“She said so herself. This ‘perfect vessel’ is somewhere in the castle.” The princess reminded her, moving towards the door. “And the only place that holds people at the moment is the throne room.”

“Why the throne room?” The dark-haired woman fell into step behind the other, her brow raised in question.

“Varian is building a portal to send Zhan Tiri back into limbo.” Rapunzel explained as they descended to the ground floor. “Hopefully, it’s ready and they will manage to use it before-”

A sound of rushed footsteps stopped them mid-walk. A group of people ran from behind the corner, led by angered Quirin, followed by Adira, Hector, Eugene, and the rest of the defenders. 

“Eugene!” Rapunzel called and ran up to her boyfriend. His eyes widened at her sight.

“Sunshine, your hair-” He said in surprise. 

“Zhan Tiri took the Sundrop.” She explained quickly and shot a glance at Cassandra standing not far away. “And the Moonstone. She said something about resurrecting Demanitus and finding a ‘perfect vessel’.”

“The Moonstone? That means-” Everyone now took notice of the dark-haired woman standing awkwardly several steps away. They pointed their weapons at her and she flinched and looked away. 

“I… I’m not going to fight you.” Cassandra said. “Not that I have anything to fight with…”

“As much as I’d like to resolve it now, we have more important things to worry about.” Adira pointed out, her face frowned. 

“Eugene, what happened?” Rapunzel looked at her boyfriend, remembering how the group rushed out from behind the corner. “Did Zhan Tiri take someone already?”

“Sunshine…” Eugene’s eyes turned into worry and he casted a glance at Quirin and the rest of the Brotherhood. He sighed and focused on the princess’ emerald orbs. “She took Varian.”

~~~~~~

Varian struggled in his binds, the chains that magically appeared around his body, tying him up with little space to move. They were completely surprised when Zhan Tiri suddenly appeared in the throne room. Before anyone could react, she grabbed the boy, the chains suddenly binding his whole body, and disappeared again, taking him with her. 

They reappeared outside, in a place Varian didn’t see before but knew exactly where it was, if only the big tree growing at the edge of the cliff was any implication. Janus Point, the place considered the most magical, where the barrier between the universes was said to be the thinnest. 

“Let me go!” The alchemist struggled again and yelped in pain, as the chains tightened around his body. 

“Hush, child.” Zhan Tiri said, her back turned to the binded teen. “Soon, you will serve the greater goal.” 

“I don’t want to serve any goal!” He shouted in response, glaring at the demon. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work! Rapunzel will-”

“The princess will do nothing to stop me.” Zhan Tiri cut in, turning around and smiling in a way that sent chills down the alchemist’s spine. “Not without the power of Sundrop.”

With those words, she produced two stones, the gold one held in her right hand, and the blue one in her left. 

“With the combined power of both Sun and Moon, I will resurrect Demanitus, putting him completely under my command.” The demon went on, hiding the stones into her dress and closing the space between herself and Varian, bringing her hand to cup his cheek. “And you, my dear, will become his vessel.”

“N-no matter what you say, Rapunzel will save me!” Varian replied defyingly, moving his head away from the demon’s touch. “She’s too stubborn to give up.”

“Oh, I’m perfectly aware of that, dear alchemist.” Zhan Tiri said and her grin grew impossibly wide. “But soon, there will be no one for her to save.” 

~~~~~~

“We can’t just rush in blindly!” Cassandra argued and Eugene sent her a death glare. 

“You can’t expect me to sit still while this demon has my son!” Quirin growled back, Adira and Hector nodding their heads in agreement. 

“By being Quirin’s son, he is considered part of the Brotherhood.” The white-haired woman explained. “And we don’t leave anyone behind.”

“I’m not saying we should do nothing!” Cassandra said back. “I’m only pointing out, we don’t even know where they are.”

“That’s why we need to spread out and look.” Hector growled and the dark-haired woman suppressed an annoyed growl herself. 

“They can be anywhere. And searching in a way you suggest can take days!” She pointed out. 

“It’s better than doing nothing!” Quirin argued. 

“Guys, guys!” Eugene stepped to stand between Cassandra and the Brotherhood. “I’m sure we can figure out if we stop fighting with ourselves.”

“Why is she even here?! She should be locked out in the dungeons, or whatever this kingdom does to criminals!” Hector grumbled and Eugene let out a tired sigh. 

“As Rapunzel already said, we can deal with it AFTER we save the kid.” The man reminded and shot a pleading look at his girlfriend. “Any ideas, Sunshine?”

“What about… Janus Point?” The now-brown-haired princess suggested, looking at the rest of the party. “It is considered magical. Some even say the barrier between the universes is the thinnest there.”

“And if Zhan Tiri is planning to summon Demanitus, this place could be our best bet.” Queen Arianna nodded in approval and smiled at her daughter. 

“Okay, we have a plan. Can we go now?” Hector asked impatiently and Rapunzel looked at everyone gathered in the corridor, before nodding in determination. 

“Let’s save Varian.” She said. 

~~~~~~

Varian struggled against his binds once again. The chains surrounding his body disappeared, changing into shackles that held his wrists together over his head, and his ankles separate. Each end of the chain was secured around the branches and roots of the tree, the teen facing the end of the cliff. 

“Stop struggling, boy.” Zhan Tiri huffed in annoyance as she shot a side glance at him. Once again, she produced the two stones from her dress and approached the bound alchemist. 

“You won’t get away with this!” Varian cried in defiance but was ignored. 

“Let us begin, shall we?” The demon grinned widely and pushed the two stones into the tree, each on one side of the tied alchemist. 

The tree lit up, and a white sigil appeared on the trunk, various symbols displayed inside the circle, the sun and moon corresponding to the stones’ arrangement. 

“ZHAN TIRI!!” A sudden cry sounded from behind. Varian couldn’t see from where he was tied, but the familiarity of the voice was enough to give him hope. Rapunzel was here. “Let him go!”

“A little too late for that, princess.” Zhan Tiri laughed and turned to the alchemist. “It has already started.” 

The wind suddenly grew stronger and the demon grinned widely.

“ _ Sun and Moon unite,  _

_ Listen to my plea. _

_ Bring the one I want, _

_ Make him obey me. _ ” Zhan Tiri started chanting, her voice booming over the sound of wind, eyes glowing green. 

Varian felt a sudden pain overwhelming his whole body. He cried out, the bloodcurdling scream freezing everyone on spot.

“Varian!”

“Son!” 

“Kid!” 

Everyone cried at the sound, Quirin and the Brotherhood already rushing towards the demoness. 

“ _ Now, at my command _

_ He will rise once more. _

_ Never leave my sight _

_ We will rule as one. _

_ Rule as one!” _ The incantation finished and Zhan Tiri laughed maniacally. 

Varian squirmed in his binds, screaming and yelling. If it was even possible, it sounded as if his cries grew even louder, even more desperate, even more terrifying. Over the cliff, a portal appeared, a white hue exiting it and reaching for the teen. When it touched his skin, he cried out once more, tears appearing at the corners of his eyes. 

“Stop it! You’re hurting him!” Rapunzel cried, as she tried to somehow unchain the struggling teen. 

“Give up, Princess!” Zhan Tiri laughed from where she was levitating several feet over the ground. “Once the process has started, there is no way to stop it!” 

“There is always a way!” Eugene shouted, pointing his sword at the demoness. “And if anyone can find it, it’s Rapunzel.”

The princess smiled slightly at that and turned her face back towards the tree and the alchemist. He was still screaming, but, with horror, she noticed his voice was slowly dying out, strengths leaving him far too quickly. Her eyes shot around the sigil, looking for weak spots, anything to stop this. 

Her gaze fell on the symbol of the sun, noticing the golden glow right in the middle. She shot a quick glance at the moon symbol, taking notice of the blue glow there. The Sundrop and the Moonstone. If she managed to pry them off…

She reached out her hand towards the golden stone and cried out, when the power shot through her. She retracted her arm with a pained cry, cradling it to her chest. 

“Raps!” Cassandra was next to her in an instant, shooting a concerned glance at the rest of the party, trying to deal with the demon. Then, she looked back at the sigil, understanding the intentions of her friend. “Let me help. You grab the Sundrop, I’ll take the Moonstone.”

Rapunzel calmed her breathing and nodded, her face full of determination. On the count of three, the two women both grabbed one of the stones and pulled with all their might, ignoring the shots of pain the raw energy caused. The sigil blinked in and out, and Rapunzel smiled triumphantly. 

“Keep going, Cass! It’s working!” She cried to the other woman and she nodded in return, teeth clenched in determination and pain. 

With a last cry, the both stones simultaneously were pried off the circle, the sigil ceasing its existence and the chains binding Varian disappearing in an instance. He fell forward, slumping unconsciously to the ground. 

“Varian!” Quirin cried upon noticing his son falling and ran up to him instantly. “Son, are you alright?!”

“D-dad…?” Blue eyes opened slightly, staring unseeingly at his father. “What…?”

“Shh… it’s okay. You’re safe now.” Quirin hugged his son closer and Varian leaned into the hug with a delighted sigh. 

“NoOoOoOoOoOoO!” A demonic cry sounded from behind. They looked up to see furious Zhan Tiri staring at the disappearing portal, the white hue being sucked back inside. “WhAt DiD yOu dO?!” 

“It’s over, Zhan Tiri!” Rapunzel cried, standing tall, the Sundrop in her hand. Cassandra stood next to her, holding the Moonstone. They shared a look and nodded their heads, staring back at the demon. 

Simultaneously, they both raised a hand holding the stone towards Zhan Tiri. A gold and blue energy shot out from the stones, mixing together and hitting the demon in the chest. She shrieked and then there was an explosion. When the smoke cleared, the demoness was gone. 

“Is she… gone?” Eugene was the first to speak as he looked around. 

“I… I think so…” Rapunzel replied, staring at the Sundrop still in her hand. She noticed a blue glow to her right and saw Cassandra holding the Moonstone to her. 

“I- you should take it, Raps.” The woman said, looking away. “I don’t- I shouldn’t have it. I’ve done enough damage already.”

Rapunzel nodded and picked up the stone, making sure she held it in the other hand. None of them wanted to risk the stones combining, seeing how they reacted just moments ago. The princess looked back at Quirin, standing up with Varian secured in his arms, the alchemist still too weak to stand on his own. 

“Let’s go back to the castle.” Rapunzel decided, looking at everyone gathered. “We have much to discuss.”


	24. The Worst Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from tumblr. 
> 
> Alternative scenario to "Be Very Afraid" episode, where Varian's worst fear is not his father being encased in amber, but Andrew.

Varian shot up in his bed, hair a total mess, eyes widened and irises so tiny one could barely notice them. His gaze ran across the room, looking for the danger but everything was calm.

The teen breathed out a relieved sigh, running a hand through his hair. A dream, it was only a dream.

Ruddiger perked up his head and chirruped happily noticing his boy awake. He scrambled towards him and pushed his head under Varian's hand, earning a soft smile from the alchemist as he petted the raccoon.

With a yawn, the teen stood up from his bed and approached his closet, taking out the clothes for today. He quickly changed, not forgetting about his belt, apron and goggles, and went downstairs to the kitchen.

It was empty, dad already working in the field, as per usual, but he was thoughtful enough to leave fresh bread, butter and ham for his son. With a happy hum, Varian produced his favourite breakfast, ham sandwich and a cup of coffee.

He had just finished eating, when screaming from the outside caught his attention. He bursted through the door and noticed villagers running around in fear, several screaming incoherently about someone chasing them. It was peculiar sight, as the alchemist couldn't see anyone but the terrified villagers.

Ruddiger scrambled off his shoulders and ran up to a cluster of rocks. Varian looked at them in surprise, noticing they weren't the usual black, but rather blood-red.

"What have you got there, bud?" The alchemist asked, approaching the cluster. He stared in wonder at the rocks, wondering where did they came from.

"Hello, buddy." An all-too-familiar voice spoke up from behind and Varian froze. "Long time no see."

The alchemist turned abruptly and backed away in terror, seeing the familiar man taking slow steps towards him.

"W-what are you doing here?" He stumbled on words, backing away, his back hitting the rock cluster.

"What? Can't I visit an old friend?" The man smiled but the smile was anything but sincere. There was something threatening about it and Varian involuntarily gulped.

"N-no! That's- How did you-?" Varian was scrambling for words, his whole frame shaking. It was impossible. How come the man was there?

"Escape?" Andrew supplied and smirked menacingly. "It was quite easy, actually. The prison guards didn't get any smarter since the last time."

The man took few more steps and closed the distance between them, towering over the terrified boy.

"Speaking of last times..." His gaze turned stern, eyes sharp. "I believe we have some unfinished business, buddy."

The man reached out his hand towards the teen and he instinctively closed his eyes shut.

"Varian? Son?" Another voice called out, a steady hand touching his shoulder gently. Varian opened his eyes in surprise, staring at the man in front of him.

"D-Dad?" He asked, his voice still trembling. He looked around but Andrew was gone. His blue eyes met his father's brown, concern visible in his gaze. "W-Where is-?"

"Where is who, son?" Quirin questioned, worry audible in his voice.

"N-Nevermind. I- You wanted something?" Varian quickly changed the subject, not wanting to sound crazy.

Because it was crazy. How could Andrew be here one moment and disappear the other? Even more so, how could he even be anywhere but the Royal Dungeons, where he and the other Saporians were kept under lock and key.

"Are you sure you're okay, son?" Quirin questioned again and the alchemist faked a smile, hoping his father wouldn't see through his lie.

"Absolutely. Nothing to worry about." He replied, trying to sound convincing. His gaze moved to the cluster behind his back and he sighed. "Well, apart from these new rocks."

"We should notify the Princess about it." Quirin nodded, seemingly dropping the subject of Varian's well-being.

"I'll do it." The teen offered. "You stay in the village and make sure no one touches those rocks. We still don't know what they do."

"Please, be careful." The man asked, his eyes pleading. "I just got you back."

"Don't worry, dad. I will." Varian smiled and picked up Ruddiger, going back to the house to pick up his backpack, before making his way to the capital.

~~~~~~

It seemed that Old Corona wasn't the only place where the new rocks appeared. As Varian and Ruddiger entered the capital, again they heard people screaming and running in frantical panic from invisible enemies.

"What is going on, Ruddy?" Varian questioned and the raccoon shrugged in response.

Varian's eyes followed another citizen running past in terror and gulped.

"We'd better find Rapunzel." The teen decided, fixing his backpack and starting towards the castle.

It didn't take long for something go wrong, however. In this case, it was Ruddiger suddenly running off and Varian trying to catch up to his animal friend. Unfortunately, the raccoon was faster and soon Varian was wandering the streets of Corona, calling out his name.

After some searching, an unfortunate encounter with Filtzbar and chasing a cat, Varian finally managed to find his friend. But he was too late.

"Ruddiger...?" Varian carefully picked up what looked like a red-stone statue of his friend, the raccoon's face frozen in fear. "W-What's wrong, bud?"

"Looks like he left you too, buddy." The familiar voice called from behind and Varian spun on his heel to be met with Andrew's face. "Like everyone else, am I right?"

"N-no! I can fix this!" The teen argued, backing away, his hands wrapped proactively around Ruddiger-statue.

"Can you really?" Andrew smirked and took out his sword, running his finger along the metal. "Because from what I remember, your inventions never work the way you want them to."

"T-That's-" Varian wanted to argue but words died in his throat.

"You almost blew up your village, encased your own father, failed to find a way to free him." Andrew went on, taking slow steps towards the teen. "Why, you couldn't even create memory-erasing compound, your Quirinean exploding instead."

One more step and Varian was backed against the wall, Andrew pointing his sword at his chest.

"And then you went and betrayed us." He finished, gaze turning steel once more. "And you know well enough what fate awaits traitors to Saporia."

Acting on instinct, Varian somehow pushed the man away and ran for his life, Ruddiger still in his grasp. He ran through the alleys, Andrew's voice haunting behind him.

"Traitors to Saporia pay with their lives! Remember that, brat!"

Suddenly, Varian shot out into the main street and roughly collided with something. He almost fell, if it wasn't for a hand grabbing his wrist to keep him steady.

"Woah, Goggles, you okay?" Another familiar voice called out and the teen looked up to see Eugene staring back at him.

"H-Hi Eugene." He replied with a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I'm- I'm fine. Better than Ruddiger, anyway." He set down the Ruddiger-statue on a nearby barrel.

"What happened to the raccoon?" The man questioned, poking it with his finger.

"I'm not sure. But I think it is connected to those red rocks." The alchemist rubbed the back of his neck. "He seems to be frozen in fear."

"Yikes, that's not good." Eugene shivered.

"We have to do something about these rocks, and fast." A female voice added and Varian saw Rapunzel approaching them. "Before everyone shares the same fate."

Varian nodded solemnly.

~~~~~~

After quick discussion and planning, it was decided that Eugene and Lance will stay at the castle, making sure there are no more, or at least, less fear-freezing cases, while Rapunzel and Varian will travel the secret tunnels under the city and take care of the red rocks from the underground.

To say that Varian was anxious would be an understatement. His eyes were darting all around the tunnel, scanning the surrounding for the familiar silhouette, even though there were no red rocks around.

Varian wasn't stupid. He was aware Andrew wasn't real, and he was just a manifestation of his worst fears. It didn't mean, however, that the teen wasn't terrified of seeing the man again, his taunts and threats scaring the alchemist to the bones.

He shook off Rapunzel's worry, deciding to not tell the princess what he was seeing. They had more important things to take care of right now.

Lost in his thoughts, Varian didn't notice the hidden trap. There was a sudden click as his boot stepped on the button, and suddenly he was falling. He screamed in terror and a golden rope tied around his waist, pulling him up. He felt his backpack open and he scrambled to save his supplies, only managing to catch the last vial of the awful yellow compound.

"Better make it count then." Rapunzel said nervously and led him down the tunnel again, finally emerging into an enormous cavern. "I give you, the Demanitus Chamber!" The woman said with a grin and Varian stared with mouth agape at the sight before him.

"Woah!" Was the only thing he managed to produce, as his eyes set on the gigantic machine covered in red rocks.

"You should have seen this before. Quite a sight." Rapunzel spoke and he stared at her in surprise.

"You... you've actually been here before?" He asked and she nodded. "Wow! I wish I could meet Demanitus himself..." He wondered out loud, for a moment forgetting why they were here.

"I did. He was a monkey. " Rapunzel said as if it was something normal and Varian's brain shortcut. He followed her down in a daze, trying to wrap his mind about her words.

They descended the stairs and the alchemist shook his head. Focus, Varian, focus.

Rapunzel wrapped his hair around his waist and he cautiously moved towards the rocks, reaching a hand with a beaker.

"It won't work, buddy~" Andrew whispered into his ear and Varian gritted his teeth in an attempt to ignore the man. He dipped the compound onto the rock and quickly backed away, Rapunzel shielding them both with her hair.

To their surprise, the compound evaporated, dealing no damage to the rocks.

"What-? But how-?" Varian stuttered and Andrew laughed behind him.

"Another failure. How predictable, buddy." The man smirked and wrapped his arm around the alchemist. "You never learn, don't you?"

"I don't understand. Why didn't it work?" Rapunzel stared at the rocks, her mind spinning.

Varian slapped a hand over his face. He was an idiot.

"Gah! Of course!" He cried out in annoyance. "The compound was created for the black rocks chemical structure. Red rocks must have a different structure and that's why it doesn't work!"

"So, this will work only on black rocks?" Rapunzel asked and the teen nodded.

"Yeah, but I don't see any." He sighed in defeat.

"I do!" Blue eyes followed the Princess' finger and he felt his heart drop.

High above them, almost at the top of the red rocks, was a single black rock, the tip barely visible.

"Rapunzel, you can't be serious." Varian laughed nervously. "No one is crazy enough to climb-"

"Race you to the top!" The woman shouted cheerfully, launching herself up. The teen stared at her in dubious amazement.

"You've got to be kidding me."

~~~~~~

Varian struggled to push himself up, each step harder than the previous one. The higher it got, the harder it was to find a way to safely move forward. He breathed heavily and looked up at Rapunzel, the woman effortlessly making her way up.

"You are weak, Varian." Andrew spoke up, leaning towards the teen from his spot above. "You are never going to get there in time."

"Shut up." The alchemist growled as he reached another rock, only for his hand to slip and he hang in the air for a second, until he found his footing.

Andrew laughed and stared down at him.

"You're making it too easy for me, buddy." He kneeled and smirked. "All it takes is a little push..." The man's hand hovered over Varian's. "For you to finally pay for your betrayal."

"You're not... real..." The teen argued and pulled himself up.

"I might not be." Andrew nodded. "But the fall will be real, I assure you." He reached for his sword and raised it over his head, grinning insanely. "Goodbye, Varian."

The sword went down towards Varian's head and the teen instinctively let go of the rocks, trying to protect it. His eyes widened in realisation and he cried in shock, as he felt himself plummeting down from the rock structure.

"Rapunzel!" He shouted and the woman jumped right after him, managing to reach him with her hair at the last moment.

They hang in the air, Rapunzel sitting on her hair, the teen clinging to one of the strands for his dear life. His eyes were wide in terror and breathing short.

"I-I can't do this, Rapunzel." He whispered, tears pricking at his eyes.

"Varian, whatever these rocks are showing you, it's not real." The woman put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "You can do this."

"No, you don't understand!" He cried, clenching his eyes shut. "I can't- I almost died, Rapunzel!"

"Varian, you're scared, I understand. So am I." The Princess sighed and looked at him. "The rocks are showing us what we're most afraid of. And I... I see Corona covered in black rocks. And Cass... what I'm most scared of, is losing Cass as a friend." Rapunzel admitted. "But I'm not giving up on her."

Varian stared at her in amazement. How could she be so brave, seeing all this? He could barely keep himself from trembling even listening to Andrew's taunts.

He cast his gaze up, at the black rock. He had to do this. It was their only way.

"Okay." He said, taking a deep breath. "Okay, just- give me a boost."

"One boost coming right up." Rapunzel grinned and he felt himself shoot up.

He landed on a smoother surface, close to his goal. He pushed up, ignoring Andrew's threats, keeping the black rock in his sight. With one final grunt, he tipped the beaker towards the spire and with a delighted chuckle he observed amber spreading from the rock.

He jumped down back to the ground, Rapunzel wrapping him in a tight hug.

"You did it! You tackled your fears!" She cried happily and he laughed in return.

"Yeah... I guess I did." He replied with a smile of his own.

"Wait until I tell everyone about it!" Rapunzel went on cheerfully as they went back through the tunnels. "You are a hero."


	25. Most Trusted Advisors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villain Alchemy Brothers AU, inspired by @cinn-a-mom art on tumblr: https://cinn-a-mom.tumblr.com/post/627990111002542080/ooo-requests-villain-bros
> 
> OR
> 
> What if instead of Andrew, Varian's inmate was Villain Hugo.

Varian tapped his finger on the bed as he observed the guards passing by his cell, their footsteps echoing through the stone corridors of the castle prison. He waited in silence until he could hear them descend the stairs to the lower level. 

"Okay, we've got approximately 10 minutes until they will be back." He said, turning his head to his cellmate. 

The other teen nodded and smirked, reaching for his pillowcase and fishing out a small vial with some purple-coloured liquid inside. He approached the bars and poured several drops onto the metal, both teens observing with glee as it melted away, creating a hole big enough for them to squeeze through. 

"After you, Hairstripe." The teen gave a mocking bow at Varian, the ravenette rolling his eyes before making his way to the other side of the bars. 

"Come on, Hugo, we don't have much time." He whispered, ears straining to any sounds coming from the lower levels.

"Relax, we still have five minutes until the guards come back." The blonde squeezed through the bars after him, having to lean over to not hit his head. 

"The further we get before they notice our escape, the better." Varian pointed out, and Hugo had no other choice, but to agree with that logic. 

Stealthily, they moved towards the stairs leading to the higher levels, promptly ignoring stares and callings from the other prisoners. The ones who were still awake that is, as the two inmates decided to break out in the middle of the night. Fewer people on the corridors, fewer guards patrolling, meaning it was easier to slip away unnoticed. 

Within minutes, they were out of the prison and sneaking their way towards one of the secret entrances to the underground tunnels. Varian was leading, considering he knew about their whereabouts, and soon they were darting through the darkened passages, marvelling over the sounds of confusion and anger coming from above the ceiling. 

"Looks like they noticed." Hugo chuckled as they sprinted down the tunnel, the only light being the torch they made sure to light before. 

"Too little too late." Varian smirked as he pointed towards the ground. "Tripwire." 

~~~~~~

They sneaked into Varian's lab through the hidden hatch, after the younger teen's raccoon confirmed it was safe to get out. Currently, they were sitting in the kitchen of his house, deciding on the next course of action, map of the capital spread over the table. 

"We can set up those goo-traps of yours here and here." Hugo pointed to specific points around the courtyard. "That should take care of at least some of the guards."

"We can also use fog bombs to move around unnoticed." Varian nodded, his mind already creating a plan. "And when we get to the throne room, all we need to do is use the memory serum of my design-"

"-which I upgraded so it will kick off faster." Hugo cut in with a smug expression as he saw the ravenette huff in annoyance. 

"We use MY memory serum to wipe King and Queen's memories." Varian continued, ignoring the blonde teen's interruption. "Once this is done, all we'd have to do is convince them to do whatever we want. Which should be quite easy, considering we are their  _ most trusted advisors _ ." The black-haired teen smirked and Hugo chuckled in response. 

"How come we'd never before?" He asked in amazement. "Together there is nothing we can't do, both with our alchemy and brains."

"Don't know. Probably because I was too busy taking planning revenge on the Royal Family and you were already stuck in jail for several months?" Varian shrugged with a smirk.

"Fair point." Hugo acknowledged and leaned over the map once again. "Okay, so here's the plan..."

~~~~~~

All in all, it was quite easy. The guards were already put off by the fog, goo-bombs and other traps the two alchemists have set up beforehand. And the ones remaining in the castle didn't put up much of a challenge either. Varian would think they would be harder to defeat, especially the Captain of the Guards, but with Rapunzel and her friends off on some kind of adventure, there was truly no one who would pose a real threat to the two. 

Hugo trapped the Royals in another goo-trap and Varian downed his memory serum into both of their mouths. They fell unconscious soon after and all the alchemists could do now, was waiting for them to wake up. 

In the meantime, they decided to redecorate a little. Meaning, they got rid of the guards sprawled on the floor after their failed attempts to stop the alchemists. They also made sure to remove all of the goo and set the Royal Couple back on their thrones. By the time they were finished, the two adults started to wake up, groaning and looking around with unfocused glances. 

"Where am I...?" The Queen said, trying to see through the fog covering her sight. "And who are you...?" She asked, noticing the King sitting next to her. 

"Ah, you're awake, Your Majesties." Varian stepped forward with a concerned look plastered on his face. 

"Your... Majesties...?" They echoed, the puzzled look visible on their faces. 

"I'm afraid there was some accident with our last invention." Hugo stepped in, looking regretful, but Varian knew it was all just an act. "I and Varian were just showing you our new compound, but it looks like it didn't quite have the desired effect."

"What Hugo here is saying-" Varian cut in, noticing the confused looks of the two adults. "- is we might have accidentally wiped your memory." The King and Queen gasped at the revelation and seemed to want to say something, but Varian rose his hand to stop them. "But rest assured Your Majesties. We will do everything we can to help you get your memories back." He finished with a comforting smile. 

"Thank you..." The Queen said and eyed both teens, confusion still lingering behind her green eyes. "But... who exactly are you?"

"Why. We are your  _ Most Trusted Advisors _ ." Varian said and the two alchemists bowed low, hiding the smirks. 

Everything was going exactly according to the plan. 


	26. Fire In Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late birthday present to CrystalMoon101, featuring her Starshard!Varian AU and OC Solana. You need to read her Stars In My Eyes story to understand this one. 
> 
> Varian is troubled by the events with the Staff of Vesuvius, and Solana comforts him.

_Everything was on fire. The buildings, the streets,_ **_the sky._ ** _He could see the merciless red tongues reaching out to cover every stone, every brick, every plank. He could feel the heat, the burning sensation touching his skin and leaving it hot and sweaty. His ears were filled with wood cracking under the force of fire and the screams. Oh, Demanitus. The screams._

 _High-pitched, bone-chilling shrills of pure terror rising to the sky, begging for help,_ **_pleading_ ** _for some kind of miracle._

_"You did this." A voice said from behind. His back tensed, every muscle pulled in a subconscious reaction._

_"No…" He whispered, tears gathering in his eyes. "I didn't want this…"_

_"But you did. It's your fault. After all..." Andrew was standing right behind him. The alchemist could hear his breath on the nape of his neck. "... you were the one to open the door."_

_Varian's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to argue, but no sound came out._

_"Nothing to say, buddy?" Andrew's voice purred into his ear and the teen suppressed a shiver. "No 'That's not true!', or 'You're lying!'?"_

_Varian clenched his fists as the Saporian laughed. He shut his eyes, stopping the tears that threatened to fall._

_"You know why is that, don't you?" Andrew continued not bothered by the teen's demeanour. "Because no matter how much you try denying it, in the end it all comes down to one simple fact."_

_He was suddenly grabbed by the back of the collar and pushed forward, dangling over the edge. Under his feet, Corona burned, the magical fire enveloping everything in sight._

_Varian's breath hitched as he stared at the drop, the only thing keeping him from falling was the grip on his shirt, the grip he knew would falter and he will plunge to his doom._

_"Look, Varian! Feast your eyes upon Corona's downfall!" Andrew yelled, his voice sounding with joy. "Look and remember: this is all your doing! You could have prevented it! But you chose the lives of your friends over the safety of the whole kingdom. The lives which will be lost either way, because you were too weak to stop it!"_

_Varian couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't do anything but watch the fire burn, the purple and gold banners turning to ashes, the building collapsing upon each other._

_And then, when he thought it was the end, that it can't get any worse… the grip disappeared. His breath hitched again and his eyes widened in horror, as he fell forward and down, down, down._

_"Burn along with it, Varian!" Andrew shouted from where he was still perched upon the airship, the Staff of Vesuvius still in his hold. "After all, traitors pay with their lives."_

_Varian felt the heat of the fires getting closer and closer. His back collided with the concrete with such force, all breath was sucked out from his lungs. And then, everything went black._

_It was all dark and quiet. Varian laid on his back, staring into nothingness. Was this is how afterlife looked like? The endless void with nowhere to go?_

_Suddenly, he heard something. A familiar hum resonating in the void, filling his soul with warmness and calmness._

_[You are safe], it seemed to be saying. [Nothing can hurt you.]_

_Varian pushed himself up, only now noticing what he thought before was a black void, was in truth a starry sky. The lights blinked lightly, staring down at him._

_He heard the hum again and looked the way it was coming from, noticing a white gem, floating several feet from where he was laying._

_"Oh." He said._

_Starshard glimmered at him in response. [I'm here.], it seemed to be saying. It twirled, the magic slowly embracing the teen like a warm blanket._

_Varian sighed tiredly and took few steps forward, approaching the gem, before sitting back down, his back against it. It was warm, almost gentle, as a mother caressing a hand through her child's hair._

_He closed his eyes and stayed silent for some time, listening to the hum of the Starshard and enjoying the warmth. He didn't know how much time has passed, but gradually his breathing evened and heartbeat slowed. He took one more calming breath before trusting his voice not to crack when speaking._

_"Thank you." He said, resting his head on the smooth surface of the gem. It hummed in response, glimmering gently._

_Varian once again fell into comfortable silence, letting the quiet hum and gentle glow of Starshard overtake his senses. Slowly, he could feel his panic subside, turning into the calmness of the mystical gem._

_It wasn't the first time it pulled him out of the nightmare, which became much more frequent with the last events connected to Andrew and the Stuff of Vesuvius._

_"Guess it's common goal of every villain to traumatise me." He said to noone in particular, chuckling at the bad joke. He let out a deep sigh and looked up at the starry sky. "I should probably get used to it then."_

_Starshard hummed behind his back, as if comforting the teen. He laughed and patted the crystal like one would pat an animal._

_"Well, time to wake up, I guess." He said and glanced at the gem. It twirled and hummed in response, its magic gently wrapping around the alchemist, like a protective barrier of some sort. He smiled at the gesture and closed his eyes._

Varian opened his eyes and stared at the brick ceiling of his bedroom. He yawned and pushed himself up to the sitting position. He noticed his streak glowing and sighed. Guess this is how it's going to be whenever Starshard contacts him in his dreams. Luckily, anyone who would enter his chambers while he's asleep, knew about the mystical power and wouldn't be freaked out by his hair suddenly starting to glow. 

His gaze moved to the nightstand positioned next to his bed and he smiled slightly. The lamp he created using the feather Solana gifted him was basking the room in the warm light. It didn't quite banish the nightmares, as he hoped when making it, but the sight itself when he was woken up from night terrors was enough to help him calm down. 

Varian pushed himself off the bed and stood up, stretching his limbs with another yawn. He heard a chitter and looked to see Ruddiger waking up too, the raccoon quickly climbing to settle himself on the teen'z shoulders and nuzzle his cheek affectionately. 

"Good morning to you too." Varian chuckled, scratching the raccoon behind its ear. 

He put on his clothes and clasped on the capelet, his hand hovering over the sun symbol for a moment longer. Ruddiger chittered worryingly into his ear and Varian smiled comforting at his best friend. 

"I'm okay, Ruddiger. Nothing to worry about." He said, the shadows of his nightmare still lingering at the back of his mind. He wouldn't voice his thoughts, though. Everybody worried about him enough, even without his sleeping trouble. 

He left the room, Ruddiger still perched on his shoulder, and moved towards the kitchen, hoping to grab something to eat. He was just turning a corner, when a blurry of brown and purple rammed into his side and he fell forward, landing painfully on his back. 

"Oh my gosh, Varian!" He heard a familiar female voice and Rapunzel appeared in his view, looking at him apologetically. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you. I just got informed that the council meeting which was supposed to take place in the afternoon tomorrow, was moved to 8.30am **today** . And it's already 8.25!" She exclaimed on a single breath, while pulling the teen up to the standing position and smoothing his clothes. "I know that's no excuse, and I should still observe my surroundings, but you know how I am when I'm late: rushing forward without looking where I'm going. It's a good thing I have the layout of the castle memorized, or I would be bumping into walls and doors at this point. People are the only variables I can't take into account because I never know who will appear where. I mean, I **do** know that the guards are having a training right this moment, the kitchen stuff is, obviously, in the kitchen, and my parents are probably already at the meeting, which leaves only the maids and you, but I still should be more cautious and-"

"Princess, slow down. You're starting to babble." Varian interjected the speech with an amused glint in his eyes. Rapunzel blushed and he smiled. "I'm fine, no harm done. And you should really get going, instead of explaining to me what I already know."

"Oh, right! The meeting!" Rapunzel gasped, as if throughout her while tirade she forgot why she was in a rush in the first place. "Gotta go, see you later, Varian!" 

She shouted and was disappearing behind the corner before the alchemist even managed to offer a response. He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, him and Ruddiger continuing with their initial goal: breakfast. 

It was good way past noon when Rapunzel stumbled into Varian's lab, dropping herself onto one of the chairs standing next to the table. The alchemist smiled at the woman's behaviour.

"Tough day?" He asked, glancing back at her but not stopping what he was doing. The brunette sighed dramatically and leaned lower on the chair.

"Try to sit through a 4-hour council meeting with everyone arguing about the best way to rebuild **one street** and then we can talk." She replied and Varian rolled his eyes. 

"Nah, I'll pass." He said, dripping silver-coloured liquid into the beaker with a green one, and watching the mixture turn gold. "Besides, you wouldn't want me there. I would call everyone, including your father, an idiot and then you'll have even more work than you already have."

Rapunzel chuckled but didn't deny it. She sat in silence, observing how the teen worked. Or, more precisely, how he looked and moved. She noticed it only briefly when they bumped into each other in the morning, but only now had the occasion to confirm her suspicions. 

"Are you sleeping at all, Varian?" She asked. The teen's back tensed for a fraction of a moment. 

"Of course." He replied. Rapunzel didn't sense a lie, but she knew he was withholding something. 

"How many hours?" The princess pushed. Varian stayed silent a few seconds too long before answering. 

"Enough." He sighed and put away the beaker before turning to the woman. "Rapunzel, I am fine. I am sleeping. At least, until-" He suddenly caught himself off and looked away. 

"Until what, Varian?" 

The alchemist didn't meet her gaze, still stubbornly looking elsewhere. Rapunzel frowned and get off the chair, approaching her friend. She grabbed him gently by the shoulders.

"Varian, please. I'm just worried about you." She said, her green eyes pleading. "We all are."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't?" He mumbled, still refusing to meet her eyes. "I can take care of myself, Rapunzel."

"I know." The brunette replied, tears glistening. "I know… but, Varian… when you were taken… I thought we lost you… I thought-"

"You think I didn't?!" Varian shouted, turning to her angrily. "That I thought they were just going to let me go after I served my purpose?! That I'm going to get out of that tomb?! That I'll survive that fall?!" 

Rapunzel took a step back, stunned, but the teen kept on going. 

"I was terrified, Rapunzel! I had to be constantly alert, constantly on guard to not let them get to me, to not let them know about my powers! I had to work for them, knowing they are going to **kill me** !" Tears were falling down his eyes, but he didn't stop. "On this airship, I was sure I wouldn't come out alive, not this time! But I did. I survived and you know what? I didn't forget. My mind didn't forget. Each and every night it plagues me with nightmares, with _what if's._ So yes, I do sleep. Until I wake up covered in sweat and my heart beating so fast it's going to jump out of my chest." 

Rapunzel backed down more, finally bumping into a shelf. The beakers and test tubes jingled at the movement and Varian stopped suddenly, painfully aware how terrified the woman was. 

Scared, he turned on his heel and bolted out of the room, Ruddiger scrambling to follow. Stupid, stupid. She was only worried, and he yelled at her and made her fear him. Again. Andrew was right, he didn't change at all. 

He was running through the halls, not paying attention to the people he was passing. He needed somewhere to go to, somewhere safe. Somewhere, where no one would find him, at least for some time. 

He skidded to a sudden stop, Ruddiger bumping into his leg. He knew just the place. 

Varian leaned over the side of the basket as the air balloon soared through the sky. He was positively surprised the whole 'Saporians Incident', as he referred to the events, didn't end up with him having flying trauma. He loved travelling this way: it was time-efficient and allowed to reach places which would be difficult to do so by foot or on horseback.

The wind rushed through his hair and he let out a content sigh, watching the world pass by underneath his basket. Ruddiger was sitting on the railing, sometimes leaning over in an attempt to paw at the passing clouds. Varian smiled at the raccoon's antics and stayed close enough to catch the playful animal if it leaned too far. 

He looked up and in the distance saw the familiar peak of Mount Glacignis. He couldn't contain the smile that made it's way up his lips. Even though the mountain and the tomb hidden within held many painful memories, it was also a home to a dear friend of his, a majestic being who not once proved itself amazing companion and a comforter. 

Solana, in comparison to Rapunzel and everyone else back home, didn't treat him like a glass ornament ready to break the moment they look away. She was always ready to comfort and cheer up the teen, but never looked down on him nor wore this worried face everyone around him seemed to adapt as of late. That didn't stop her from acting like a mother around him, a fact that made Varian laugh rather than be annoyed with the creature. Try to argue with someone who is at least ten times larger than you and can burn you to crisps (not that Solana would ever do that, but the point still stands).

The basket touched down on the snow-covered mountain, just outside the entrance to Haco's Tomb. While the Saporian airship was way too big to land in such close proximity to the chamber, forcing them to climb all the way up, the air balloon was much smaller and allowed Varian to skip the climb every time he went to visit Solana. And considering the mountain was very steep and full of deadly cliffs hiding underneath the snow, the teen was more than happy to fly all the way to the peak. 

The alchemist jumped out of the basket, Ruddiger once again taking his place on the teen's shoulders, and made a small trek through the snow to the cave. He went down the stairs and pulled out the red-and-orange feather from the inner pocket of his winter coat. The massive door lit up and opened to reveal a darkened chamber, the torches hanging from the walls only now coming to light. Varian stepped in and heard the stone doorway close shut behind him. He didn't worry, however, as he knew Solana will open them for him whenever he would be ready to go back. 

Speaking of, the huge phoenix perked up from where she was resting against the Staff of Vesuvius, and visibly brightened up (in literal sense) when she noticed the teen coming closer. He touched her head in a caring manner, gently running it through the feathers. She leaned to the touch and crooned quietly, welcoming him back. 

"Hey, it's- I know we've seen each other only two days ago but-" Varian bit his lip as the memory of his latest nightmare and the conversation with Rapunzel replayed in his head. 

Solana tilted her head to the side, before nudging his hand with her beak, in a comforting way. The alchemist smiled involuntarily. 

"It's nothing… just some nightmares… and stuff…" He replied, trying to play it off. Even though he came here because he knew Solana will go and start comforting him, he was reluctant to speak about his troubles. 

The mystical bird blinked but seemed to accept his decision. If he didn't want to speak, she wouldn't make him. That's why he preferred Solana's company to his friends and family back in Corona. While all of them cared about him, only Solana seemed to respect his unwillingness to talk about his problems. Others usually tried to push him into explaining what was troubling him, was it whether by straightforward or more subtle hints. He loved them all the same, but he sometimes wished they gave him space when he clearly needed it. 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by another nudge into his side, and blinked to see the phoenix tilting her head towards her back. Varian grinned at the implication and wasted no time in climbing up the creator's side and securing himself at the back of her neck. Ruddiger clambered up right after and sat in front of his boy, ready for a ride. 

Solana looked back to make sure both of her passengers were secure before lifting off, up the chamber through the hidden tunnel and out of the mountain. Varian was hit by the cold air and he stifled the gasp that tried to escape his mouth at the sudden change. Ruddiger tensed and clung to Solana's neck, only now realising flying a phoenix was nothing like riding a horse. The alchemist chuckled and petted the raccoon, comforting the scared animal. 

Solana broke through the clouds and evened, spreading her wings wide to let the wind direct her flight. Ruddiger slowly uncurled his fingers from where he was clinging to the creator's feathers, only now daring to open eyes and look around. Varian did so too, a wide smile spreading on his lips. There was something calming in the way Solana soared through the sky, letting the wind guide her. He closed his eyes and leaned back, hands not letting go of the phoenix's neck, enjoying the way the wind ruffled his hair and pulled at his clothes. 

After what seemed like hours, Solana finally started lowering her flight, directing them back towards the mountain. Varian clung to her neck as she descended and flew into the tunnel again, bringing them back inside the tomb. Her legs touched the ground without the jostle and the alchemist allowed himself to sit there just a moment longer, before swinging his leg over the creator's body and sliding down. Ruddiger chittered at Solana what he thought was a thank you and jumped down too, going for his usual spot on Varian's shoulders.

The ten reached his hand and patted the mystical bird's neck in gratitude.

"Thank you." He whispered. 

Solana nudged him gently with her beak and did something which could be her equivalent of rifling his hair, but felt more like pouncing on his hair strands with her beak instead. Varian pouted and playfully swatted her head away, smoothing his hair. Really, why did she always have to do that?

She stared at him and he realised she was asking whether he was alright now.

"Yes, I'm better now, thank you." He replied and she nudged his cheek with a beak again, something like a gentle kiss of some sort. He blushed fiercely and he could swear he saw a playful glint in those fiery eyes. 

He yawned, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted. Solana eyed him for a moment, before laying down and gently pushing him towards her side. He tried to argue, but the phoenix was stubborn, and he really needed a rest, his night terrors not really leaving him well-rested, even if he did sleep the whole night. 

With one more nudge, he finally gave up and leaned against the warm body, the slow rise-and-fall of Solana's chest and the sound of her beating heart working like a mother's lullaby for his tired body. He felt Ruddiger cuddle next to him the raccoon never backing down on an opportunity of a nap, and soon felt himself drifting away into a peaceful slumber.

When he awoke again, he was pleasantly surprised to realise, none of his usual nightmares made their appearance. He laid awake, eyes staring into the dark ceiling, until he felt both Ruddiger and Solana stir awake. The phoenix raised its head and stared at the massive door, as if looking through them. Varian 's gaze jumped between the creature and the entrance, wondering what was going on. 

"Everything okay?" He asked, observing the mystical bird in confusion. 

Solana pushed herself up, Varian doing the same since he could no longer lean against her side. He would much prefer to stay snuggled in the warm feathers, but the curiosity got over him. He followed Solana to the door and she reached one of her wings to touch the stone, the markings lighting up in an instant. The door let out a groan and started to open, the light from the cave getting inside the tomb. 

"I'm just saying, we have no way to- woah, it's opening!" Varian heard a familiar male voice and saw two figures standing in the open doorway. 

"Eugene? Rapunzel?" He said in disbelief. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Oh, Varian! I was so worried!" The princess launched herself at the teen, locking him in one of her bear hugs before he could react. 

"I-I'm fine." He replied, stunned by the reaction. "Except for the fact you are choking me."

"Oh, sorry." She released him quickly and grinned sheepishly. 

"See? I told you he'd be fine." Eugene said with a grin of his own. "The big bird here wouldn't let him get hurt, am I right?" 

He tried petting Solana's back, but the glare she gave made him retreat his hand before it got bitten. 

"You were worried about me?" Varian looked at the princess in puzzlement. "Why?"

"You looked so troubled when you rushed out of your lab." Rapunzel replied, her finger playing with one of her hair strands. "I tried to follow you, but you were too fast. By the time I thought to check your room, you were already gone. I noticed the feather gone as well, so I figured you must have come here."

"She practically dragged me from the Royal Guard training because she was worried for you." Eugene laughed and Rapunzel blushed in embarrassment. 

"But… why?" Varian asked, still confused. "I yelled at you."

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you." The brunette shook her head. "I'm sorry, Varian. I was so caught up in how we almost lost you, I got a little too overprotective."

"It's… it's alright." Varian mumbled back. "Still, I'm sorry I shouted at you. I shouldn't have done that. I was just tired from…" He fell silent, not wanting to mention the nightmares. 

Solana seemed to sense his distress, because she nuzzled her beak against his cheek, Ruddiger doing the same from the other side. 

"It's just-" He tried again. "You all treat me like I'm going to break the moment you take off your eyes from me. I know you're worried about me, but you don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

"I wasn't-" Rapunzel argued but Eugene cut her in.

"Okay kid, we got it. Less worrying, more trusting." He flashed Varian a smile. "But can you really blame us? You seem to be a magnet for trouble."

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm a genius." The teen gasped in fake offence. It would have come out more convincing if he didn't grin like an idiot.

"Never say you were." Eugene grinned back. "Now let's go back before your dad notices you're gone and turns the whole kingdom upside down to find you."

"He wouldn't do that." Varian laughed.

"Look me in the eyes and say that again." The man countered. 

Varian turned back to Solana and petted her softly. 

"Thank you for… everything." He said. The phoenix nuzzled him again and then pushed him gently towards his friends. He laughed. "I'll be back in two weeks."

Solana nodded and turned away, moving back to the tomb, the door closing behind her.

"Okay, let's go back before my dad **really** does something stupid." He said, moving towards the exit of the cave and to his air balloon."By the way, how did you two get here?"

"We had Max take us here, but I sent him away when we saw your ride." Eugene replied. 

"You know you could have taken another balloon, right?" Varian raised his eyebrow. Eugene laughed. 

"Didn't think of it, actually." The man said. The alchemist rolled his eyes.

"I hope you at least treat Max to something good for getting you guys here in one day." He said as he started the fire and the basket rose into the air. 

"I'll get him a bucket of apples." Rapunzel promised and Varian laughed. 

"I'll make sure to keep Ruddiger away from the stables then." He winked and they all shared a laugh, as Mount Glacignis turned smaller and smaller. 


End file.
